Ræða Katrínar Jakobsdóttur, forsætisráðherra, í Mountain 5. ágúst 2018
Kæru vinir, dear friends!
It is a great pleasure for me and my husband to be here in Mountain, the epicenter of the numerous Icelandic settlements in Northeast North Dakota, and it has been quite a revelation to discover this morning the amazing history if Icelandic settlers in this state. I can certainly verify that seeing is believing – and 24 hours is not enough to enjoy that remarkable heritage! And it is an honour to be invited to address the 119th Annual Deuce of August, which I am told is the longest running ethnic festival in North Dakota and the largest Icelandic event in the United States.
In August 1874, King Christian the ninth was the first sovereign of Iceland to visit the country, bringing with him the first Icelandic constitution, and for a long while this was the national day of Iceland, a tradition that Icelanders have now forgotten, apart from the people of the Westman Isles who still celebrate, and people of Icelandic descent in the Western world.
I am told that North Dakota is one of the least populous of the United States, ranking 47th. It still has more than twice as many people as Iceland has and is also almost twice as large. While, on the other hand, our capital Reykjavík has more people than Fargo. I am sure that the land per capita ratio would have felt familiar to the Icelandic settlers. Before I came here, I wondered if I was going to the 'Iceland' of the US.
Here in Mountain, one clearly feels the spirit of Iceland and the warm hospitality of North Dakota, which I would like to thank you all for and I commend all of you who have contributed to the success of this celebration. When arriving in Mountain for the first time after travelling through the prairie of Manitoba, you realize that the name is an oxymoron since the town is not on top of a mountain, or even a hill, but sits on a slight rise in the landscape. That, in particular, tells us that the first settlers had not lost their Icelandic love of the absurd after a long and often hazardous journey across the ocean. It is difficult to translate humour but Icelanders do love oxymorons – in one Icelandic town a man was famously called Óli þjófur (Oli the thief) after someone stole his bicycle!
Today we celebrate these first settlers by showing our great affection for Iceland and our determination to retain and strengthen our common heritage.
In Iceland, this is a year of a special celebration. 2018 marks one hundred years since Iceland became an independent and sovereign state, twenty-six years before Iceland became a republic with its own president in 1944. We have come a long way in Iceland since then. We make more efficient use of our resources and our society has become more diverse in culture, religion and ethnicity. The population has more than tripled, from about 90.000 to 350.000 inhabitants. Much progress has been made in gender equality and human rights, which the government regards as a priority and is also a matter very close to my heart. The Government I am leading in Iceland has set the course to establish a new tone, rejecting the tendency of polarization in politics and ensuring that the economic growth will bring prosperity to all the people in Iceland and taking steps that will make Iceland a good place to live for young and old alike.
Iceland is making its voice heard in the international arena by being a role model regarding gender equality where there is always still room for improvement, by setting itself ambitious targets in combating climate change, by striving to ensure equal opportunities and standing in a time where inequality is increasing on a global scale.
Iceland is a small country and therefore we have always known that international co-operation is essential. Eversince the scaldic poets sailed to Norway to recite their poems to Norwegian kings, we have known that our culture is built on interaction between different peoples and different cultures. Not many people know that but the history of Icelandic crime fiction actually started here, in the settlements of Icelanders in North-America, the first translated crime novel was translated into Icelandic and published by Lögberg in Winnipeg, and the first Icelandic crime novel, which was called An Icelandic Sherlock Holmes by Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason, was actually set in Nova Scotia.
For Icelandic culture, trade and politics, international relations have therefore always been important and will continue to be so.
And it is noteworthy that a century and a half after the first Icelandic settlers migrated west our bonds are as strong as ever. It is important, wherever we live and wherever we move, to remember our roots. History shows that culture is nowhere better than where it is mixed with different currents and viewpoints.
There is an Icelandic saying which many of you know: “Römm er sú taug, er rekka dregur föðurtúna til”, which means the string to the roots of your existence is strong and pulls people to their ancestral pastures. Although the community of people of Icelandic ancestry has blended with people from other communities, it is noteworthy that there are still a number of marriages between people from within the Icelandic community. And as for personal names, many people still give their children Icelandic names. Hearing these names so far from the small island in the North Atlantic is a reminder of the strong sense of heritage and roots that people still have in their hearts, not to mention how amazing it is to be here in Mountain and hear people talk about vínartertur and kleinur and pönnukökur!
The special bond between Iceland and the United States of America is made strong by common history and shared heritage. All the different clubs working to nurture Icelandic history and heritage in United States of America are a clear testament to the unique dedication that Americans of Icelandic descent show to their roots. I admire your dedication and work in preserving and honoring this remarkable and unique history and heritage.
Finally, I bring you greetings from the Government and the People of Iceland and our commitment to preserve the bonds between the people of Iceland and the people of Icelandic ancestry in North America. Thank you again for inviting me and my husband to join you here today to celebrate the Deuce of August and allow me to wish you all a happy Celebration.
Takk fyrir og góða skemmtun.