The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1974, Blaðsíða 45

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
43
the early Icelandic settlements in Can-
ada and it includes specifically the
names of the 1875 settlers in Manitoba.
The archives will provide travelling
exhibits for special occasions, as for
the centennial of Icelandic settlement
in Manitoba, 1975. It is understood
that there must be a competent place
for their care and display.
The importance of trained staff for
archives and museums was stressed.
There is real dangeer of deterioration
of articles if not properly cared for
including temperature and humidity.
Museums are becoming more and
more competent to provide displays
for schools. Also, in Winnipeg, thou-
sands of students have visited the
museum of Man and Nature, with the
cooperation of the Department of Edu-
cation.
People are urged to write in to the
Public Archives for information and
advice.
The importance of collectiing doc-
cuments, letters and photographs was
stressed.
Archives collections could be the
subject of M.A. and Ph.D. theses.
The stress should be on preserving
traditions above artifacts. The em-
phasis is on “people”.
In the plenary session, some projects
were advocated which seemed to re-
flect a narrow ethno-centric outlook.
Third language broadcasts were advo
cated. Carried to a logical conclusion,
broadcasts in fifty different languages
would scarcely be acceptable to the
great majority of the C.B.C. viewers,
leaving out of consideration the ex-
pense involved.
Multi language departments within
the provincial departments of edu-
cation were advocated. This would
lead to undue proliferation of staff
A more feasible, if more limited ap-
proach, would be the use of Depart-
ment of Education Correspondence
Branch lessons. The preparation of
these could be farmed out.
To me a startling feature of the
plenary session was a widely expressed
feeling that there is marked discrimi-
nation against the peoples represented
at the Conference in the matter of em-
ployment and career opportunities.
Apparently we have some distance to
go before we achieve unity in diversity.
An interesting feature of the con-
ference was meeting and mingling
with the people of numerous and
varied racial origins. This was at the
sessions, at meal-time, and at the even-
ing social and entertainment events.
Also, it was a privilege to hear such
speakers as Senator Carl Goldenberg
and George Ignatieff, probably our
most distinguished diplomat and Can-
ada’s representative at the United
Nations.
The multicultural conference of
1973 was the first all Canadian con-
ference of its kind. It was an achieve-
ment and worthwhile. A recom-
mendation was brought forward for
more adequate planning for another
conference, and it is likely that an-
other conference will be held this year.
Such conferences will promotoe a bet-
ter understanding by the people of
different racial origins of each other
and promote the cultural enrichment
of our Canadian way of life, and pro-
mote Canadian unity.