naŠa zgodovina Vol. 7 No. 2 Summer 2017 Happy 150th Birthday Canada! It’s summer! A time to get out those BBQ’s at home or on the farma, with family and friends. And this summer, its extra special as we celebrate Canada’s 150 years of Confederation. I cannot wait to see the firework display, I am sure it will be exceptionally beautiful this year! Canada was formed in 1867 with just four provinces banning together, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia! It would take more than a century later to add the other six provinces and three territories, that make up the Canada, we know and love, today. The logo created for the 150th celebrates the Confederation, with our 10 provinces and 3 territories, and in the middle, in red, are the first four provinces that banned together, in 1867. The British government encouraged Confederation as we were getting too expensive! The British government didn’t want to pay for our defence and believed that United States would less likely attack a unified nation. The best part of our nation is our multiculturalism. From being called “A Tossed Salad” to a “Mosaic”, it has been our belief that newcomers should retain their identities and culture, while creating a new home in Canada. In 1937, John Buchan, who was our Governor General of Canada from 1935 to 1940, encouraged immigrants to retain their individuality, in order to contribute to the character of Canada. And, by 1971, Canada was the first country to have an official policy of multiculturalism, The Multiculturalism Policy of Canada. To celebrate our vast multiculturalism, and Confederation, Ottawa has planned year-long events, welcoming all nationalities of the world, uniting us in celebrating our past and our identity. On June 23, Ottawa welcomed Slovenians! We, the Canadian Slovenian Historical Society, along with other Slovenian groups, such as Slovenski Dom and Mladi Glas, had prepared and promoted displays of our Slovenia roots and culture. It is amazing to see how diversity continues to be an essential part of Canada. It is a place of refuge and asylum for many immigrants, just as it had been for my grandparents, and others, who had escaped the devastation of WWII. It is wonderful that they were still able to maintain their heritage and culture, which is still growing and continuing strong today! Happy Birthday Canada! Stephanie Schaeffer Ottawa Exhibit 2017, A Year-long Multicultural Showcase This year, to honour the multicultural mosaic of Canada, the city of Ottawa decided to invite the embassies from all the countries whose peoples have settled in Canada to showcase their own countries in special exhibits. Each embassy was asked on their specific days to celebrate their country of origin. Friday June 23rd was selected for the Slovenia Day as this marked the 25th anniversary of Canada’s recognition of the independent Slovenia. The Canadian Slovenian Historical Soci­ ety as well as several organizations and clubs from various parts of Canada participated in the Ottawa Welcomes the World, 2017, as part of the 150 year celebration of Canada. The main focus was our Slovenian culture and heritage with individual performances in folk dancing, singing, music, gymnastics, and cuisine as well as several exhibits and displays. CSHS was assigned two tables. One was a showcase of our regular work which included a small sample of our archival material. The second table was dedicated to a presentation of a distinguished Slovenian who had left a footprint in Canada’s history. We chose Bishop Frederic Baraga as he was promi­nent among the First Nations in Canada, namely the Ottawa and Ojibwa. The programme for the day was varied, interest­ing, informative and enjoyable. The doors opened to the public at 9:50 AM by His Excellency Marjan Cencen, ambassador of Slovenia. Performances were continuous throughout the day. The dance ensemble Triglav from Winnipeg, Manitoba pre­sented several dances in true folkloric style, dressed in costumes from three regions of Slo­venia, Prekmurje, Bela Krajina and Gorenska. The younger dancers, Mladi Glas, one little girl only four years of age, from Kitchener, Ontario, also performed several Slovene dances. They were joined by Mladi Glas Senior Group and by Plani­ka. The walls of the hall reverberated with typical Slovenian polkas and popular folk songs lead by nia as well as various tourist attractions. A big hit was the seller of the Slovene hockey jerseys, which became extremely popular after the Olympic Games in Soči. The doors closed at 7:00 PM. The numerous visitors to this event, which included several school classes, tourists and locals, enjoyed the variety of displays and performances walked around the exhibits asking many in­teresting questions. They were amazed to learn that Slovenians had come to Canada before the twentieth century. A few who were unaware of the country of Slovenia inquired where it is located, when did it become an independent republic and there was much interest and discussion about the history and geogra­phy of the land. 2 Frederic Baraga, Apostle of the Lakelands As was stated previously, one of our exhibit tables at the Ot­tawa, Welcomes the World 2017, was dedicated to Bishop Frederic Baraga. He came to Canada to minister to the people who were settled in areas north of Lake Superior. Although most of his service was in the USA, he was a prominent per­son who has contributed to Canada’s evolution. Much has been written about Reverend Bishop Frederic Bara­ga and of his work especially with indigenous groups in both USA and Canada. An excellent reference is the Life and Labor of Rt. Rev. Frederic Baraga, First Bishop of Marquette, Mich. written by P. Chrysostomus Verwyst, OFM, 1900. Although the book also encompasses the work of earlier missionaries, it is an important document as it is written mostly in Baraga’s own words and it includes his diaries and letters that he sent to his family, his acquaintances and his superiors in both Eu­rope and America. From all that has been written by him and about him one must say that Baraga was a man of enormous love, much learning and great ability. From his very early days he was found to have an enormous capacity to learn and thus he was sent to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, at a very early age to study. He quickly acquired the knowledge of several languages as Slovenia was handed from one conquering nation to another. He was later sent to Vienna where he studied law and then returned to Ljubljana to enter the priesthood. Frederic Baraga chose to come to North America upon hearing of a need for priests in the New World. He was immediately assigned to the immense Great Lakes territory where he ministered to the various settlers, the miners, the fur traders and the First Nations of the area. Baraga felt strongly that he must serve everyone in their own native language. As he was a linguist, having earlier learned French, German, English, Latin, Italian and of course Slovenian, he also quickly began learning the languages of the indig­enous nations, mainly the Ottawa and the Ojibwa. Listening to the sounds, he translated these to the English alphabet and then into a written language. He later published A Grammar and Dictionary of the Ojibwa Language which is still in use today. He distinguished himself as an author of many works written for his countrymen, the Native People of his diocese, and also for linguistic scholars. Overall he wrote and translated over 20 books, prayers and articles. Baraga travelled relentlessly, over the 37 years of his ministry throughout the immense area that had been assigned to him. Many times he travelled without money, food or proper clothing in the challenging weather of the northern regions. The winters were cold and harsh, the summers hot and he was often covered with insect bites. He travelled hundreds of miles every year, by foot and canoe in the warmer months and by snowshoes in winter. In his three-volume diary he often mentions the extreme fatigue and total exhaustion that he endured covering the vastness of the land. “Fifteen miles from any house in the deep snow an intensely cold night, no fire, completely exhausted! There was no choice but to walk on or to freeze.” He came to be known as the “Snowshoe Priest” and “Apostle of the Lakelands” by the people of his diocese. Baraga will be remembered for his remarkable work, his generosity, his dedication, his service and respect of the people of the Northwest for whom he laboured for so long and so relentlessly. His assistance in the defence of the rights of the First Nations and in preserving their cultural heritage is his most remarkable feats. Bibliography: Archives.org Life and Labor of Rt. Rev. Frederic Baraga Zrnec, Tone Rev. Po Baranovi Deželi www.notable biographies.com 3 BISHOP FREDERIC BARAGA (Significant dates in Baraga’s life) 1797 June 29 – Irene Frederik Baraga, born in Mala vas, Dobrič, Slovenia 1808 -Sent to study in Ljubljana (capital city of Slovenia) 1809 -Went to Vienna, Austria to study at the university 1821 -Received his law degree in Vienna 1823 September 21- Ordained priest in Ljubljana 1830 December 31 -Arrived in North America 1831 May – Began working in Arbre Croche (present day Harbor Springs, Michigan) 1832 – Published prayer book in native language, Otawa Anamie Misinaigan 1850 – Published Dictionary Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language in Detroit, Michigan 1853 – Published Dictionary of the Otchipwe Language, Cincinnati, Ohio 1853 November 1 – Consecrated Bishop in Cincinnati of Upper Peninsula (Michigan state) 1855 -Assigned administration of 80,000 square mile territory including Canadian area north of the Great Lakes, including Lake Nipigon 1858 – Began construction of a church in Goulais Bay 1862 – Consecrated church in Goulais Bay in honour of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows 1886, January 19 – Died in Marquette, Michigan 1878 – Grammar of the Ojibwa Language, printed in Montreal 1952 – Bishop of Marquette, began collecting and cataloguing material pertinent for the cause of Bishop Baraga’s beatification For the display we included this map entitled Baragaland, which indicates in some detail areas in Canada where Baraga performed his missionary work among the Ojibwa and the Ot­tawa Nations. As our focus was Can­ada we did not include all of the mis­sion posts in the northern USA where Baraga is still well remembered. In the states of Wisconsin and Michigan there are towns, roads and a county named after Baraga. There he was consecrated bishop and there he end­ed his final days. He is buried in St. Pe­ter’s Cathedral in Marquette, Michi­gan. In Canada, the Bishop of Toronto assigned him 80,000 square miles of land stretching form Bruce Mines to Fort William (Thunder Bay), and as far north as Lake Nipigon (Province of Ontario). In Goulais Bay we can still see remnants of his church which still stands as well as a plaque commemo­rating his work in Canada. OUR STORY is published by: Canadian Slovenian Historical Society 52 Neilson Drive, Toronto, ON M9C 1V7 For more information contact: Miriam Čekuta at: mmcekuta@gmail.com In this issue: • Happy 150th Birthday Canada! • Ottawa exhibit 2017, A year-long Multicultural Showcase • Frederic Baraga, Apostle of the Lakelands 4