By Rob Olason
ÞÓ LÍÐÍ ÁR OG ÖLD
– THOUGH YEARS AND CENTURIES PASS
The theme of the 2025 Icelandic National League of North Amereica Convention (INLNA) focuses on the deep history of Icelandic settlement in Nýja Ísland -New Iceland.
The choice to hold the INLNA convention in Gimli, Manitoba this year was made to honor the 150th anniversary of the Icelandic settlement in Manitoba.
The convention features a powerhouse lineup of speakers, including Ryan Eyford, a Professor at the University of Winnipeg and author of White Settler Reserve, a history of the New Iceland settlement.
Prior to the convention, on April 30, you can catch an Icelandic Roots Webinar with Ryan Eyford discussing the smallpox epidemic of 1876–77 in the New Iceland settlement. Webinar details are on the Icelandic Roots website event calendar at: https://icelandicroots.eventcalendarapp.com/u/31130/369258
Also addressing the convention is Kristín M. Jóhannsdóttir, PhD, from the University of Akureyri, a Researcher and Linguist.
The Gala Dinner Speaker is Eliza Reid, the former First Lady of Iceland and Co-founder of the Icelandic Writers Retreat.
Icelandic Roots also joins the convention with the popular hands-on look through the extensive Icelandic Roots genealogy database during a Friday afternoon presentation. With nearly 840,000 Icelandic "cousins" represented and over 59,000 media files, if you have Icelandic ancestors, they are in this "one family tree" database.
To get the most out of the presentation, a necessary first step is to fill out the “Cousins Across the Ocean” form before April 27 so the genealogists can connect you to your ancestors already in the database.
All convention goers who have RSVP’d beforehand will have free access over that weekend to explore the database, so bring a laptop or other device to explore on your own. And if you get stumped, Icelandic Roots has a table in the vendor’s section where you can get one-on-one help.
What happens if you do not submit the Cousins form before April 27th? No need to worry! You're always welcome to join the session, but you will only receive a generic access code and access will not be for the entire weekend.
Details on how to sign up for the free database access are on the Icelandic Roots website at: https://icelandicroots.eventcalendarapp.com/u/31130/369464
Access to the “Cousins Across the Ocean” forms and the RSVP registration for the presentation are on the webpage.
And if you are already an Icelandic Roots member, be sure to stop by the IR table and introduce yourself!