New Iceland

New Iceland represents a distinctive episode in the early settlement of the Canadian West. In 1875 and 1876, more than a thousand Icelandic immigrants settled a large tract of land reserved for them by the federal government along the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. Before 1887, the reserve was essentially self-governing under its own constitution, and the setters were primarily of Icelandic origin. New Iceland enabled them to preserve their language and cultural identity. Numerous descendants maintain vibrant traditions and close ties with Iceland. , La création de la Nouvelle-IsIande, épisode particulier de l’histoire de l’Ouest canadien, débuta avec l’arrivée en 1875 et 1876 de plus de mille Islandais sur la rive ouest du lac Winnipeg, sur des terres désignées par le gouvernement fédéral. Cette réserve fut essentiellement régie par sa propre constitution jusqu’en 1887 et demeura pour un certain temps presque exclusivement islandaise. Nýja Ísland permit aux colons de préserver leur langue et leur culture. Plusieurs descendants y gardent encore leurs traditions et des liens étroits avec l’Islande. , Stofnum Nýja Íslands er sérstæður þáttur í upphafi landnáms versturhluta Kanada. Árin 1875 og 1876 settust rúmlega eitt þúsund íslenskir innflytjendur að á stóru landssvæði sem ríkisstjórn Kanada úthlutaði þeim við vesturströnd Winnipegvatns. Fram til 1887 nuttu íbúar svæðisins mikils sjálfstæðis og höfðu sína eigin stjótnarskrá. Landnemarnir voru flestir af íslensku bergi brotnir. Nýja Ísland gerði þeim kleift að varðveita tungu sína og menningu. Fjölmargir afkomendur þeirra halda erfðavenjur í heiðri og rækta náin tengsl við Ísland.