Earliest Settlement of North America
Peoples occupying North America prior to the arrival of Europeans were once erroneously referred to as “indians.” The term originated in the 15th century, when Italian explorer Christopher Columbus arrived in North America and mistakenly believed he had sailed nearly around the world and arrived in the East Indies. In fact, the area of North America he explored is now known as the West Indies, and the earliest inhabitants of North America are more correctly referred to as Native Americans, Indigenous peoples, or First Nations peoples.
Archeologists and anthropologists theorize that the earliest North Americans came across a land bridge, known today as Beringia, between Eastern Asia (Siberia) and Alaska, continued through Canada and the United States, perhaps as far back as 25,000 years ago or even earlier, and migrated throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Today, there are 574 distinct Native groups (referred to as tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities and/or native villages) recognized by the United States government and 630 First Nations peoples in Canada.
Archeologists and anthropologists theorize that the earliest North Americans came across a land bridge, known today as Beringia, between Eastern Asia (Siberia) and Alaska, continued through Canada and the United States, perhaps as far back as 25,000 years ago or even earlier, and migrated throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Today, there are 574 distinct Native groups (referred to as tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities and/or native villages) recognized by the United States government and 630 First Nations peoples in Canada.
Icelandic Settlement in North America
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Icelanders have a long connection to North America, dating back to the late 10th century AD. In fact, the Snorri Programs are named after Snorri Þorfinnsson, the first Icelander born in North America, circa 1004 AD. His parents, Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir and Þorfinnur Karlsefni, Icelandic explorers who appear in the Grœnlendinga saga (Saga of the Greenlanders´) and Eiríks saga rauða (Saga of Eirik the Red). Their colony only lasted for a few years in the areas now known as the Maritimes of Canada, and the New England States in the USA. When the colony collapsed, Snorri and his parents sailed back to Iceland where they settled in Skagafjörður, in Northern Iceland.
The first Icelandic emigrants to North America arrived in 1854. This group of Icelanders, mostly from the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar), had converted to Mormonism and emigrated to Spanish Fork, a small town in Utah Territory settled by Mormon pioneers. Another Icelandic community was established on Washington Island, Wisconsin in 1870. The bulk of Icelandic emigration, however, occurred between the late 1870s and 1914. |
Statue of Gudridur and her son Snorri, located in Skagafjörður, Iceland. (Photo courtesy of Icelandic Roots).
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Emigration Exhibit, Vesturfarasetrið, Hofsós, Iceland
Viking Statue in Gimli, MB (New Iceland)
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Life in Iceland was harsh in the mid-to-late 1800s. At the time, Iceland was part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Denmark had largely neglected Iceland’s economy. Winters were challenging, and in January 1875, Mount Askja, a volcano in northeastern Iceland, began erupting, spewing millions of tons of debris into the air. Over the next few weeks, dozens of eruptions occurred, filling the sky with lethal smoke and ash that rained down upon settlements across Iceland. Iceland’s agriculture could no longer support its approximately 76,000 inhabitants, and an estimated 25% of the population emigrated.
Immigrants arriving in North America in the mid-1870s could choose where to settle. A small number joined friends and relatives in the United States (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska) and Canada (Nova Scotia). Many were lured to the United States by the promise of free land offered by the Homestead Act of 1862: 160 acres to those who could “improve” it by building a dwelling and cultivating the land. The Markland settlement in Nova Scotia was established in 1872, and in the autumn of 1874, a group of 352 Icelanders arrived in Toronto and travelled to Kinmount, Ontario to work on the railroad. Following a very hard winter filled with hunger and disease, those who survived into spring 1875 moved on to Gimli, Manitoba in search of a better life. This community on the shores of Lake Winnipeg became known as “New Iceland.” 1875 was a landmark year in Icelandic emigration history, as another important settlement was established: Minneota, Minnesota, located in Lyon and Lincoln Counties. In the 2000 United States Census, the most recent for which this data is available, 42,716 people indicated having Icelandic ancestry, with the largest concentrations in California, Washington state, and Minnesota. According to the 2016 Canadian census, Canada is home to the largest number of Icelanders outside of Iceland, with some 101,795 people identifying as being of Icelandic descent. The largest concentrations are in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta. See Icelandic Roots for more information on early Icelandic settlements in North America. |
It is part of human nature to seek where you come from and many people of Icelandic origin would like to know more about the country of their ancestors. This is why the Nordic Association of Iceland, in cooperation with the Icelandic National League of Iceland, created the Snorri Program in 1999. To learn more about the history of the program, browse the “20 Years of Snorri” magazine.
There are now three established programs: The Snorri Program, Snorri West, and Snorri Plus, as well as the Snorri Alumni Internship. Everyone who has participated in these programs has left Iceland with good memories about the land of their ancestors. Some of them have returned with other family members and some have decided to live in Iceland to study Icelandic.
