The Icelandic Canadian - 01.11.2006, Qupperneq 31

Vol. 60 #3
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
117
Halldorson family, the family into which
Gudbjorg Eyjolfson married and whose
tragic birth is recounted.
Before turning to this story, however,
it is useful to understand the ways in which
official and vernacular cultural expressions
intersect in constituting public memory in
Saskatchewan. First and foremost,
Saskatchewan’s history is presented as a
history of settlement. For example, the his-
tory of Foam Lake and area, They Came
From Many Lands, states that:
This project is an attempt to give the
reader an over-all picture of the origins of
settlements in these areas and to recall with
grateful pride the early pioneers who,
through faith, courage and perseverance,
braved the hardships of the founding years
in this land where freedom abounded...Let
us not forget the early pioneers who toiled
with axe and ox to open up this country
and pave the way for an easier life for those
who came after them. It is hoped this
book will help the present generation to
understand and appreciate more fully the
heritage of their forefathers who lived
through times when there were no roads,
no automobiles or power machinery, no
modern conveniences, little or no money
and a candy or chocolate bar was a rare
treat.34
These tributes to the pioneers reaffirm
a commitment to democratic values
(Saskatchewan as a place where freedom
abounded) and to meritocracy (success
built upon sacrifice and hard work), as well
as a desire for economic prosperity. In
making the link between the efforts of the
first generation (the early pioneers who
toiled with axe and ox to open up this
country) and the legacy that it has
bestowed on the third (an easier life for
those who came after them), the latter gen-
eration is able to establish a connection
with the past and a trajectory for formulat-
ing identity. This narrative also reveals an
enduring faith in progress through its con-
trast of the pioneers’ achievements against
the lack of technology and ‘modern conve-
niences;’ the implicit message here is that
“if the pioneers could accomplish this
much with so very little, what heights
could the present generation reach?” This
question is more than rhetorical. The
changes in the agricultural economy and
the decline of many small towns in
Saskatchewan had become increasingly
pressing and visible by the 1980s.
Resurrecting the past may have been one
way for individuals and communities to
deal with an uncertain future.
These local histories not only framed
the history of Saskatchewan as a history of
settlement but they also affirmed the mul-
ticultural agenda of the Saskatchewan gov-
ernment. They are a testament to the con-
tributions of immigrants drawn ‘from
many lands,’ as the title of the Foam Lake
history reminds its readers, to the ‘found-
ing’ of Saskatchewan/Canada. Like the
‘humble origins’ narratives of genealogical
research, these local histories also serve to
democratize the past by recognizing the
sacrifice and hard work of individuals
drawn from a diverse set of ethnic commu-
nities who came to Canada to escape eco-
nomic hardship and/or religious persecu-
tion. They reinforce the view that
Saskatchewan/Canada is a pluralistic soci-
ety where religious freedom prevails, eth-
nic differences are tolerated, and economic
prosperity is within the grasp of those will-
ing to work.
Because these texts are commemora-
tive, they omit parts of their history that do
not fit into the community and nation-
building mythologies. In her analysis of
female and widowed, Mennonite refugees,
Marlene Epp found that a ‘split memory’
occurred between the ‘social memory’ of