The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1982, Page 7

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
5
EDITORIAL
TWENTY SURE-FIRE METHODS FOR ELIMINATING
THE ICELANDIC HERITAGE FROM
NORTH AMERICA
by Kristine Perlmutter
I feel quite certain that, if the following
measures are observed closely, the Ice-
landic heritage in North America may be
successfully eliminated:
1. Do not assist or give scholarships to
students studying Icelandic at North
American universities and advise stu-
dents that it is an impractical course.
2. Do not award scholarships to, or other-
wise assist, students from Iceland to
attend North American universities
and students from North America to
attend the University of Iceland.
3. Do not support the chair of the
Icelandic Language and Literature at
the University of Manitoba, and other
similar departments in Canadian and
American universities.
4. Do not support courses in Icelandic,
both in schools and out.
5. Do not make use of the comprehensive
Icelandic collection at the University
of Manitoba or of those in other Ice-
landic libraries.
6. Do not encourage, or give assistance
to, the translation of Icelandic literary
and historical classics into English and
North American literature into
Icelandic.
7. Do not support publication of bio-
graphies of prominent western Ice-
landers or anthologies of western
Icelandic writing.
8. Do not send your children to Icelandic
Language Camp or on exchange visits
to Iceland.
9. Do not encourage, or give assistance
to, visits, performances, exhibitions
and publications of Icelandic artists in
North America and North American
artists in Iceland.
10. Do not assist in the collection and
preservation of works of art, handi-
crafts, books, periodicals, manu-
scripts, documents (correspondence,
memoranda, notebooks, diaries,
family Bibles, financial records,
scrapbooks, photographs) by or relat-
ing to the people of Iceland or people
of Icelandic descent.
11. Have untrained staff look after archi-
val materials and allow temperature
and humidity to speed deterioration of
these items.
12. Don’t subscribe to Logberg-Heims-
kringla, Icelandic weekly newspaper,
or The Icelandic Canadian, quarterly
magazine.
13. Have no Icelandic books or transla-
tions available at home; afford the
young no opportunities to read Ice-
landic stories or hear the Icelandic
language spoken or sung.
14. Do not move far afield in involving
members from all areas of the Ice-
landic community in projects and
organizations.
15. Complain and criticize but don’t offer
to help; assume that no work is
needed, but that Icelandic organiza-
tions magically ran themselves.
16. Do not invite western Icelanders of
your acquaintance to become involved
in the activities of the local groups.
(This is particularly easy to do if there
has been inter-marriage of those of
Icelandic descent to non-Icelanders).
17. Don’t encourage people of all ages to