The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2001, Síða 7

Vol. 56 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
45
past—a place once known and loved, but
clearly a place that was no longer his home,
however much it continued to inspire him.
In his trudging gate, stooped and slow of
foot, Elias took the first steps towards becom-
ing an Icelandic Canadian. I am not an
Icelander of a diaspora but rather a Canadian
of partial Icelandic descent—not a Western
Icelander but an Icelandic Canadian.
The difference is more than simply seman-
tic and it seems clear to me that the Icelandic
experience in this country has been marked by
the steady evolution from a self-identification
as Western Icelanders to one as Icelandic
Canadians. While the term "Western
Icelander" might still offer a convenient label
for the collective community of those who
claim Icelandic heritage in Canada and the
United States (and even the hardy souls who
settled in Brazil), it does not adequately
reflect our identity after so many generations
away from the land of fire and ice. From Old
Jonas I take my family name but from Elias I
claim my spirit.
The late Axel Vopnfjord, long-time editor
of The Icelandic Canadian, wrote: "There can
be no doubt, that the ideals and traditions that
sustained the Icelandic immigrants in their
time of trial and tribulation, and led them to
victory over unfavorable and undesirable con-
ditions, must have been built on solid founda-
tions. We, their descendants, can still draw
the living waters of inspiration from the her-
itage they cherished." Yet, at the same time,
he maintained that "it is not desirable that we
consider ourselves hyphenated Canadians,"
but rather Canadians first, who appreciate
"the value of the Icelandic heritage, not only
for its own sake, but also as something which
can enrich the cultural aspect of Canadian cit-
izenship."
When I think of the enormous contribu-
tions that people of Icelandic descent have
made to this fair land, it is a source of both
great pride and honest humility. From indus-
trious farmers to risk-taking entrepreneurs,
from sensitive men to powerful women, from
gentle poets to insightful scientists and
explorers, from concerned educators to public
figures, Icelandic Canadians have contributed
many sparkling tiles to the Canadian mosaic.
It is hard to imagine what Canada (and
Manitoba in particular) might have looked
like without the contributions of those whose
gifts sprang forth from their Icelandic ances-
try. It is equally difficult to imagine what life
might have been like for those generations
who have been heirs to the migration of the
Icelanders to this beautiful and prosperous
land. Here we have been part of a bold and
imaginative experiment, where the Icelandic
heritage enriches what it means to be a
Canadian for all Canadians, and being
Canadian fulfills the hope embodied in our
ancestors' noblest dreams.