The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2009, Qupperneq 24

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 62 #2
Sigurveig (Olafsdottir) Christopherson
Sigurveig Olafsdottir was born in
Iceland in 1853. She received training as a
midwife while living in Iceland. She and
her husband Peter and their two daughters
Rosa and Helga immigrated to the Argyle
district in 1893. The purchased a home-
stead there and began farming. After just a
few years in Argyle, their youngest daugh-
ter Helga died at the age of eleven, and that
same year their son Helgi was born. A few
years later, their daughter Allabjorg was
born and contracted polio. She was con-
fined to a wheelchair and died at the age of
twelve.
Despite Sigurveig’s own personal loss-
es and a farm to help manage, she contin-
ued to meet the high demand for her skills
as a midwife. At a time when medical help
was unavailable in the outlying rural areas,
she was often called upon to assist women
in giving birth. She was well known for
always carrying her leather case with med-
icines and instruments for birthing.
Sigurveig was also involved in her
community through her membership in
Von(Hope), the suffrage society of Argyle.
She and her daughter Rosa were among
those who traveled throughout Argyle col-
lecting signatures on the women’s suffrage
petition that was presented at the Manitoba
Legislature in 1910. Sigurveig
Christopherson gave unselfishly to the
communities in Argyle through her roles as
a midwife and suffrage worker. She passed
away in 1931 at the age of 77 years (Rural
Municipality of argyle, 1981, p 118, 341).
Sigurveig Christopherson participated
in formal learning in Iceland through her
midwife training. Upon arrival in Argyle
she continued to learn non formally
through her involvement in organizations
such as the suffrage society Kvitabundi.
She was probably a subscriber to the suf-
frage paper Freyja, which gave her informal
opportunities to learn about the issues
affecting women.
Her influence on the learning of
Icelandic pioneer women in the communi-
ty of Argyle begins with her midwifery.
Each time a trained midwife such as
Sigurveig helped deliver a child, those
around her learned informally through
observation. Women knew that whenever a
friend or neighbour needed help in birthing
that if a trained midwife could not get there
in time, they would want to help the best
they could. Many pioneer women were
self-taught midwives and no doubt learned
through observation of trained midwives.
As a woman with formal training and a
highly valued position in the community as
a midwife, it is probable that Sigurveig was
influential within the suffrage society. Her
position of influence afforded her the
opportunity to influence the non formal
learning of her community. Her involve-
ment in the petition that played a part in
granting Manitoba women the vote
demonstrates a wider influence on the lives
of pioneer women. Her commitment to
women’s suffrage in the midst of her
responsibilities as a mother, farmer’s wife
and midwife is admirable. To take on this
campaign during a time of physical and
emotional hardship as a pioneer woman
who had lost two daughters, is remarkable.
Sigurveig Christopherson’s life as a
pioneer woman shows an influence on the
informal and non formal learning of her
peers in Argyle. She arrived in Argyle with
skills as a midwife that she learned through
formal learning in Iceland. Sigurveig and
her fellow suffragettes learned non formal-