University of Alberta hosts folklore conference (06/23/96)

University of Alberta hosts folklore conference

by B. Cherwick and A. Makar

EDMONTON - The conference "Studies in Ukrainian Culture and Ethnicity: Academic and Community Perspectives" took place at the University of Alberta on April 26-28. Sponsored by the Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography and the graduate students of the Ukrainian Folklore Program at the University of Alberta, this conference was attended by participants from throughout Alberta, as well as from British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the United States.

Ukrainian folklore studies at the University of Alberta had their start in the 1970s, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky. Beginning with one course, by 1980 a complete program in Ukrainian folklore had evolved, and in 1989 the Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography was established.

This is the first privately endowed Chair in the faculty of arts at the University of Alberta, and is supported by generous donations from the community at large. The Huculak Chair, occupied by Dr. Andriy Nahachewsky, is the only center of its kind on the North American continent conducting educational and research programs in Ukrainian folklore. The Ukrainian folklore program grants the degrees of B.A., M.A. and Ph.D.

A pre-conference public lecture held at the Edmonton Centennial Library featured Dr. Robert B. Klymasz of the Canadian Center for Folk Culture Studies in Hull, Quebec, who gave an audio-visual presentation titled "Ethnic Art in Canada: The Ukrainian Perspective." He described the development of a special exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

The conference began with a graduate student forum, where local researchers presented works in progress. This was followed by a roundtable discussion titled "Archives as a Tool for Community Develop-ment."

Participants included Irene Jendzjowsky (Provincial Archives of Alberta), Alexander Makar (Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum), Dr. Nahachewsky (Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography), Sandra Thomson (Provincial Archives of Alberta) and Dr. Klymasz.

In the evening, Dr. Klymasz gave the conference's keynote address, "Ukrainian Canadian Folklore Studies: Current Trends and Issues."

Saturday's program consisted of five sessions: "Two Paths to Traditional Culture: Oral and Literary Links"; "Ukrainian Material Culture"; "Life and the Erotic: Ritual and Symbolism in Ukrainian Culture"; "Culture and the Old World"; and "Ukrainian Folklore and the Negotiation of Identity." A total of 17 papers was presented.

The day concluded with an interesting roundtable discussion on "Questions of Ethnicity: Personal Perspectives." Four participants (Ms. Jendzjowsky, Natalia Shostak, Frances Swyripa and Ms. Thomson) each presented her own unique understanding of Ukrainian culture based on their individual roots in the four major waves of Ukrainian immigration to Canada: prior to World War I; the inter-war period; post World War II; and the 1990s.

Closing remarks for the conference were delivered by Dr. Klymasz.

On Sunday, April 28, conference participants took part in a driving tour of east central Alberta. They visited many of the sites settled by the first Ukrainian immigrants to Canada, including many churches, cemeteries and other architectural landmarks.

There are plans to publish selected articles from the conference in the folklore journal Culture and Tradition published at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Conference sessions were attended by many members of the Ukrainian community of Edmonton, as well as a great number of non-Ukrainians interested in the fields of folklore and Ukrainian studies. All had the opportunity to take an active part in the discussions that followed the presentation of each paper. Many interesting observations were offered by listeners from outside the academic community.

The conference showed the growing interest in Ukrainians folklore studies among Ukrainian and non-Ukrainians from both academic and community circles. Secondly, it underscored the high level of folklore scholarship taking place throughout Canada. Thirdly, it verified the sound academic foundation that graduate students receive in the Ukrainian folklore program at the University of Alberta. Finally, it showed that the Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Folklore and Ethnography is becoming one of the leading centers for Ukrainian ethnology in the world and for folklore studies in Canada.

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