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13 Apr 2017 Blog, Exhibits, Images, Information Craigend, Culture, Cultures Exhibit, Easter, Exhibit, Heritage, history, Lac La Biche, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Venice

Regional Cultures: Ukrainians

The_Museum

Ukrainian culture is right at home in our community, from delicious cuisine to lively dance. Canadian Ukrainian culture is special—it follows old traditions long left behind by most modern Ukrainians, creating an oasis of folk customs.

Ukrainian advertisement for land in Canada

The first wave of Ukrainian settlement in our region occurred in the Venice and Craigend areas between 1929 and 1932. During the early 1900s, the Canadian government’s immigration policy favoured farming experience over country of origin. This brought thousands of Ukrainian farming families to western Canada. The majority of Ukrainians who arrived in Canada came from western Ukraine under many names—Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Galicians, and Bukovynians. These Ukrainians were among many new Canadian farmers who put many hours of hard labour into clearing land to make it suitable for farming.

Many families learned Ukrainian at home as their first language, reading and writing in Ukrainian before learning English in school. In the early 1980s, the Ukrainian Cultural Society of Lac La Biche offered Ukrainian language classes as well.

“My grandfather was army personnel in Ukraine and he kinda figured there would be another war coming up. They said they had to get out of there. So him and his wife packed up six kids and got on the ship and came to Edmonton in 1930. They wandered around to get a homestead out here in Lac la Biche. They went to Wandering River; they [had previously] went to Peace River country and it was too far away from the markets and all that. Wandering River was still too far. They liked the train. There was a creek there and they settled right down in 1935. It took them 5 years to get a place for themselves. They were just like nomads walking around. Y’know, the challenges they had in those days… they were in a strange country, they didn’t know the English language. They came with a trunk of clothes packed with six kids.”

—Eugene Uganecz

Members of both the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic religions often follow the Julian calendar for their religious holidays. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Church, while Roman Catholics belong to the Latin Church and follow the Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar, named for Julius Caesar, is about two weeks out of alignment with our current calendar, the Gregorian calendar, which is named for Pope Gregory XIII. This means, for example, that Christmas is celebrated in January. While the Catholic church in Ukraine follows the Julian calendar, churches in Canada sometimes have permission to follow the Gregorian calendar instead.

In 1931, the community of Craigend began planning for the first Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church in the region; however, services were eventually moved to Lac La Biche. In 1955, construction began on a new church, the All Saints Orthodox Church, which was built through volunteer labour and community effort.

One of the most important Ukrainian holidays is Easter. Joyous exchanges of “Khrystos voskres!” (“Christ has risen,” Христос воскрес) and “Voistynu voskres!” (“He has risen, indeed,” воістину воскрес) can be heard in churches as families bring a basket of paska (паска, round Easter bread), babka (бабка, cylindrical Easter bread), boiled eggs, meat, cheese, and pysanky (писанки, dyed Easter eggs) to be blessed by the priest. Pysanky (singular: pysanka, писанка) are decorated using dyes and beeswax. Wax is placed on an egg by a kistka (кістка), a tool with a small funnel attached where melted wax is inserted. The wax protects the colour underneath from the dye in which the egg is placed. There are several symbols used on pysanky, including (but not limited to) geometric designs, Christian images, plants, animals, and man-made tools. Dye colours also have special meanings, such as blue for good health and yellow for the harvest. In regards to Easter, this year (2017) is quite special—Easter falls on the same day on both the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

“On Easter we bake bread: paska and babka. We put them in baskets and take them to church. Everybody brings their baskets and puts them in a semi-circle where a priest comes and blesses everything. What else do we do at Easter? We have a little sip of holy water. He blesses the holy water and he brings some home.”

—Loveth & John Beniuk

Malanka (Маланка), the New Year’s celebration, is named after Malanka, the daughter of Mother Earth, whose return marks the beginning of spring. During Malanka, one can eat many delicious treats, such as kutia (кутя), a dish of poppy seeds, wheat, honey, and almonds, symbolizing peace, prosperity, and good health. Ukrainian staples such as varenyky (вареники, often called perogies or pyrohy by Canadian Ukrainians), grechka (гречка, buckwheat) pancakes, and kielbasa (колбаса, sausage, often called kubasa by Canadian Ukrainians).

Ukrainian dance is characterized by rhythmic stamps, acrobatic jumps, and elegant twirls. The national dance, Hopak (гопак, from the verb гоп, “to jump”), is the most popular dance with impressive solos. Concerts often begin with the Pryvit (привіт, “welcome”), a welcome dance complete with the traditional offering of bread and salt. Various costumes are worn for the Pryvit, showcasing the regional dances performed during the concert. Most other styles of Ukrainian dance are named for the regions they come from, such as Polissia, Volhynia, and Bukovyna (Polissian, Volyn, and Bukovynian respectively). The Lac La Biche Cerna Dancers performed these traditional dances on stage for many years.

Ukrainian embroidery is easily recognized. Traditional embroidery patterns vary according to region of origin and are often characterized by kalyna (калина, guelder-roses), poppies, lozenges (diamonds), and geometric patterns. Red and black are standard colours used for embroidery, but are often accompanied by blue, yellow, and green. Embroidery is put on the regions where evil spirits could enter the body to protect the person wearing it—at the cuffs, neckline, back, shoulders, and hem.

6 Apr 2017 Blog, Exhibits, Information Beaver Lake, Cree, Culture, Cultures Exhibit, Exhibit, Heart Lake, Heritage, history, Lac La Biche, Nehiyawak

Regional Cultures: Cree

The_Museum

Nehiyawak (ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐊᐧᐠ) is a common ethnonym for the people known as the Cree, meaning “those who speak the same language”. The term “Cree” comes from the Ojibwe word “Kirištino”, which was used by the Ojibwe to describe the people living around Hudson Bay; the French pronounced the word as “Cristinaux”, later shortening it to “Cris”.

The Cree are the largest First Nations group in the Lac La Biche region. In Alberta, there are two major sub-groups of Cree: the Woods Cree (in northern regions) and the Plains Cree (primarily in southern regions). They were not the first to this area, pushing other First Nations groups from the region (the Dene-zaa, Sekani, Sarcee, and Blackfoot); however, pottery found on Black Fox Island confirms Cree ties to the region by the 1500s at the latest.

The fur trade in Canada could not have operated without the Cree, who were initially known to the Europeans as the “Homeguard”, firmly established as middlemen between the fur companies and those who would come to trade with them. Cree women would often marry European fur traders à la façon du pays (“in the custom of the country”), which came with advantages and disadvantages. The greatest advantages for marriage involved the fur trade itself: Cree women knew trading customs, spoke multiple languages (at least her own and her husband’s), made moccasins and snowshoes, secured food, and were excellent guides. Essentially, a “country wife” often guaranteed survival for fur traders. In return, the connection would allow her to influence trade relationships, guarantee European goods through trade for her kinship network, and grant her a slightly easier life through her own access to European goods. However, life married to a European could also be difficult or hazardous due to cultural differences and greater exposure to European diseases. The Métis were the eventual product of these marriages.

Signatures from September 9, 1876, at the Fort Pitt signing of Treaty 6 (LAC GAD IT 296)

After Confederation, the Numbered Treaties were created to extract resources and give land to the Canadian government. The Beaver Lake Cree Nation and Heart Lake First Nation signed Treaty 6 on September 9, 1876, at Fort Pitt. At the time, many across Saskatchewan and Alberta were facing starvation and smallpox due to the encroachment of European settlers. It was felt by many that the treaty would be the only assistance they could receive. Signing Treaty 6 seemed helpful, especially with the inclusion of a medicine chest clause and the right to traditional land use; however, the Beaver Lake Cree Nation (Amiskosâkahikanihk) has been taking legal action to uphold their treaty rights in the face of industrial development.

The Cree are highly spiritual. This spiritualism can be seen in their language, dances, cultural arts, and more. Despite facing genocide, assimilation, and colonialism, Cree culture has persevered. The Cree “y” dialect, Nêhiyawêwin (ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ), emphasises interconnectedness and kinship (wahkohtowin, ᐊᐧᐦᑯᐦᑐᐃᐧᐣ) between all beings. Cree language and native arts programs are offered at both the local public schools and Portage College, allowing people to reconnect to their rich culture.

The Medicine Wheel is an important symbol—it encompasses the four seasons, cardinal directions, elements, stages of life, and aspects of the individual: mental physical, emotional, and spiritual. The metaphor of the Medicine Wheel is used in many ways to teach several things, including interdependence and balance.

The culture hero and trickster Wesakechak is one of the most famous Cree heroes, with endless stories told about him. His story cycles always have a moral. They link humans to creation and teach children about life in a humorous manner through a relatable character. These stories are only supposed to be told during the winter. Other seasons have traditional activities as well, such as making canoes in the spring.

Originally only among the Plains Nations, Pow Wows draw people together to celebrate life through songs, dances, ceremonies, and displays of unity. It is a living tradition, as dances evolve with each generation. The Pow Wows in Lac La Biche and Beaver Lake are usually competition Pow Wows, where dancers compete for prizes. Several dances are performed, with most portraying parts of nature; for example, during a grass dance, dancers attempt to imitate the swaying of grass on a windy day, and women’s fancy shawl dances imitate the life cycle of a butterfly.

Round dances, originally healing ceremonies using hand drums and singing, typically take place at night. Before the dancing begins, an elder offers food from a feast to the spirits present. Dancers join hands to form a circle, symbolizing unity and equality; their left hand is held open with the palm upwards because it is on their heart side and their right clasps the hand of the dancer next to them. The round dance continues as long as someone Is drumming and singing.

Cree decoration are intricate and often used on clothing, bags, and belts (among other things). Geometric beadwork, intricate quillwork, and fish scale art are among the many intricate crafts created by the Cree. Moose hair tufting, first used primarily in the north, was once a primary method of decoration clothing and is slowly reviving after almost disappearing. Portage College offers Native Arts & Culture programs in Lac La Biche, including classes on beading, hide tanning, moose/caribou hair tufting, dyeing natural materials, and carving wood and stone.

Elsie Quintal fleshing a hide (Portage College film, *Hide Tanning the Woods Cree Way*)

30 Mar 2017 Blog, Exhibits, Information Culture, Cultures, Cultures Exhibit, Exhibit, Heritage, history, Hylo, Italian, Venice, Venice Picnic

Regional Cultures: Italians

The_Museum

During the 1870s, the region that would become Alberta was transitioning into a land of agricultural opportunity under the Dominion Lands Act, providing settlers with 160 acres of free land in exchange for a small administration fee and an agreement to cultivate at least 40 acres within three years. Over the next sixty years, around 118 million acres were given away under the Act. Such an offer was tempting to the many Northern and Southern Italians who would come to call this region home.

With the assistance of the Italian Society of Edmonton (La Società Vittorio Emanuele Terzo), arrangements were made for an Italian colony to be established in what would become the Hylo and Venice settlements. The first group of settlers left Edmonton on July 27, 1914, headed by an Italian consular representative, Felice De Angelis. The other five members of this party were O.J. Biollo, Pio Bonifacio, Antonio Piemonte, Teofilo Piemonte, and Beniamino Maragno.

“They didn’t even know what type of animals we had, as far as wildlife goes. They were from Italy. You don’t have moose in Italy! So, it was quite interesting. The first […] gentlemen that came, they thought they saw a fox. A black fox […]. They wanted to catch this fox, and the fox ended up being a skunk! Of course, they got sprayed. Then, they had taken their clothes off and soaked them in a river or creek, trying to get the stink out. Can you imagine the smell of the skunk? Ugh! Terrible, terrible!”

—Rosanna Giacobbo

The group surveyed the area, walking through bush and muskeg, before making their return to Edmonton, content with what they saw. On August 28, 1914, the second group of settlers (numbering 22) left Edmonton for the area. Both journeys were meticulously recorded by De Angelis in his diary, providing an intriguing glimpse into the life of early Italian settlers.

These settlers constructed tents as temporary shelters until they could register their homesteads at the Lac La Biche Mission and build shacks before winter. It was difficult adapting to the harsh climate, clearing farmland, and establishing a living, but they succeeded. To earn money, people would trap, cut lumber, and work on the railway in addition to farming.

“It’s not accurate to say they mostly came to homestead. To say that many of them made their living on the farm, no. The railroad, cutting ties, working on the rails. My ancestors all worked on the rails. Just farming itself, very few. Not the original ones, they couldn’t make a living on the farm. They worked in tie camps or actually worked on the railroad itself, making it. Extra gangs. My dad din’t farm a lot. We took over the farm after and we did more farming ourselves, me and my brother. My dad worked on the railroad most of his life. He started farming with his father, but like I said, they didn’t just have one thing going. Their farming, their agricultural habit. Lumbering, sawmills, either working in lumber camps or railroad. […] A few had cattle, few pigs, mostly that was the food supply for the family.”

—Leslie Biollo

The small community grew at a fast pace. On September 8, 1916, one settlement formally received the name “Venice” and opened the first post office with O.J. Biollo as the postmaster. The other, Hylo, is said to have been named by A & GW Railway workers after a card game.

The early Italians were primarily Roman Catholic. Before the construction of the Venice church, priests from the Mission would come during the summer to say mass in a railway shack J.D. McArthur’s men left standing. Determined to have their own parish, the Venice church was constructed in 1925 using donations of labour and construction materials from the parishioners. The church is home to the Venice Picnic, which has been held since 1927. Dances were also held in the parish hall with Albert Michetti playing the fiddle. One particularly lively evening, the music played beyond midnight, prompting the priest to come and put an end to the festivities.

Traditional Italian cuisine remains popular, such as the Christmas Eve dish bacalai, salted cod with tomatoes and capers. Other traditional dishes include dandelion salad with sausage and polenta (made from cornbread) with spaghetti sauce. Cheese was a main staple for the Italians and Mrs. Joe Michetti had a particularly famous style of grating cheese. As with many other ethnicities, nobody leaves hungry from an Italian home.

23 Mar 2017 Blog, Exhibits, Information Culture, Cultures Exhibit, history, Lac La Biche, Old Believers, Plamondon

Regional Cultures: Old Believers

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The Old Believers are a religious group originally from Russia that came to Alberta mainly during the 1970s from Oregon and New Zealand. The community has its roots in three separate groups: the Turchany who lived in Turkey until the late 1960s, the Harbintsi from Harbin, China, and the Sinziantsi from the Sinkiang (Xinjiang) region of China. Funds were pooled together to purchase land in Plamondon for 32 families in 1973. This area is informally known as Berezovka (Березовка, “birch tree”), or the Russian Village.

“The rest of the community here in Plamondon, they came here primarily because of farming. Lots of property, lots of land and open spaces, and they thought it wouldbe a good place to continue practicing the tradition of farming and live quietly with no outside influence.”

–Fedosia Alagoz

While they are from a close-knit community, Old Believers do not have a communal society, favouring hard work and the accumulation of wealth. Many work in the trades sector, enjoying the fresh air and working with one’s hands. Traditionally self-sustaining, a good portion of food, clothing, and commodities are made at home.

Religion can be said to define the Old Believers, who belong to an old sect of Russian Orthodoxy. They have been heavily persecuted for their beliefs in Russia after they split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1666 due to a series of reforms created by Patriarch Nikon of Moscow (who was later stripped of his rank). Important religious symbols worn every day include the poyasok (поясок, “belt”) and a cross worn around the neck to indicate their bond to Christ.

The Old Believers follow the Julian calendar for their holy days. Forty holidays are celebrated, ranging from minor holidays to major ones that require everyone’s attendance at church. There are four periods of Lenten fasting where all animal products are avoided and fasting during certain days of the week as well. A great number of holy days are celebrated, ranging from minor holidays to major ones that require everyone’s attendance at church. There are four periods of Lenten fasting where all animal products are avoided and other days require fasting as well.

Old Believers often prefer to simply be called “Christians”. Their source of Christian law is tradition written in the “Old Books”, старый книги (stari knigi). The people in Plamondon are Bespopovtsy (Безпоповцы, “priestless ones”), priestless Old Believers that believe apostolic succession ended in 1666. In communities without a priest, a nastavnik (наставник, “mentor”) or nastoyatel (настоятель, pastor or church leader) leads religious services. Church Slavonic is the only language used in Berezovka to address God, although Russian is spoken at home and in public. Many speak an older Russian dialect that sounds slightly different to speakers of modern Russian. Some describe it as “the Russian [their] grandparents used to speak”.

The visual appearance of the Old Believers is tied to their religion. Women don’t cut their hair and wear a long surufun (сарафан, “sarafan”), a full dress that fits over a long-sleeved blouse and slip. An apron is fitted over the dress and a poyasok (поясок, “belt”) is tied around the waist. Unmarried women wear their hair in one braid down their back, while married women wear two braids crossed over their head covered with a headscarf called a shashmura (шашмура). Women also do large amounts of sewing and embroidery, necessary for married life. Men do not shave, believing that men must have a beard as Christ did. Men wear a roobushka (рубашка, “shirt”), a tunic with embroidery down the front with a high collar. Men also wear a poyasok around the waist.

“We’ve learned to adapt our expectations and our lifestyles. It’s a struggle, it’s hard. It’s a fight to continue reinforcing in our children, in our youth, how important traditions are. They do change and some are being eliminated now because they’re not practical or they’re being replaced by other things.”

–Fedosia Alagoz

Due to the high number of Old Believers that wish their children to learn Russian, children attending Ecole Plamondon School can take Russian as a second language course, although it has been a full immersion program in the past. The school is also accommodating of the many religious holidays the children must observe.

4 Jul 2016 Blog #HistoryWeek2016, history, Lac La Biche, Lac La Biche Mission, Notre Dame des Victoires, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Residential Schools

Canada History Week Day 4: Notre Dame des Victoires

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The Lac La Biche Mission, a national historic site and a provincial historic resource, was once known as Notre Dame des Victoires. Joseph Cardinal had invited priests from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to the area, which was visited on his invitation by Father J.B. Thibault in 1844. The mission was first established on the shores of Lac La Biche near the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, but was moved to the bay at which it resides today in 1855. At the time the mission was built, it was the third mission in what would become northern Alberta.

Nuns and students posed outside the convent, 1924

The priests were joined in 1862 by the Grey Nuns and ran Alberta’s first residential school at Notre Dame des Victoires. The Grey Nuns left in 1898 when the residential school was moved to Saddle Lake, where it remained until 1931, when it was moved yet again to St. Paul. A new order of nuns, the Daughters of Jesus (les Filles de Jesus), arrived in 1905 and took up residence in the former rectory, the present day convent, which was built in 1894. After living for a time in the rectory built when they vacated the 1894 building, the priests built a new rectory in 1924, which burned down in 2009.

Residential school students in 1896. Provincial Archives of Alberta, OB4486.

The church currently situated on the mission grounds was built in 1922 to replace a church destroyed by a tornado the year prior. One of the only things to survive the church’s destruction was the altar, seen in the current church today. The mission was home to many of Alberta’s “firsts”, such as the first printing press (brought by Father Grouard in 1877) and the first water-powered sawmill (1871). The mission was closed in 1963. Visitors today can take tours of the remaining buildings and learn more about the community that lived there. Visit their website at www.laclabichemission.com/