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NLIS 1 August 8, 2002 (Tourism, Culture and Recreation) Moravian scholars gather for symposium Julie Bettney, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and Wally Andersen, MHA - Torngat Mountains, join scholars from around the world this week at a symposium to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Moravian Church on the north coast of Labrador. The symposium, From Nisbet Harbour to Nain: The Early Moravian Exploration of Labrador, is one of the events being held this year to celebrate Access North - Labrador 2002. "This year we celebrate Labrador," said Minister Bettney. "Part of that celebration includes the recognition of the Moravian presence in the region. This symposium will foster discussions, deliberations and ideas sharing which will lead to a clearer understanding of this important part of our province�s culture and heritage." The symposium takes place August 8-10 in the communities of Makkovik and Hopedale. It brings together experts on the earliest presence of the Moravians in Labrador from Canada, United States and Germany. They will discuss why and how the first exploration and establishment occurred and what Labrador was like for Inuit and Europeans when the Moravians first arrived "We are fortunate to have attending the symposium nine of the leading authorities on the Moravian exploration of Labrador," said Mr. Andersen. "During the symposium we will learn more about the Inuit life of 18th Century Labrador and the contribution of the Moravians to the history and culture of the magnificent north coast." Dr. Hans Rollman, a professor of religious studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland, will be one of the scholars attending the symposium. Dr. Rollman has been working closely with Access North to organize the symposium. "This symposium on Moravian beginnings in Labrador is a first, not only in looking at the origins of the Moravian presence in our province but also for holding such an event in the location where that first contact took place and among the people whom it affected most," said Dr. Rollman. In conjunction with the symposium there will also be a visit to the archaelogical site at Ford�s Bight, the opening of the travelling photo exhibit, Labrador Through Moravian Eyes, in Makkovik, and tours in Hopedale of the mission complex and museum, the Parks Canada house, and the historic Moravian graveyard. "The promotion of Labrador as a tourist destination will not end when the celebrations of 2002 conclude," said Minister Bettney. "The potential of the tourism industry in this region of our province is tremendous. We will continue to work with key stakeholders in Labrador to raise awareness of the unique history, culture and landscapes of this great land." Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications, (709) 729-0928.
BACKGROUNDER Symposium In the summer of 1752, Johann Christian Erhardt arrived on the coast of Labrador with four missionaries to explore the possibilities of settling and doing mission work. While other Europeans had visited the coast of Labrador, the Moravians were the first to stay. They became an integral part of the lives and culture of the Inuit, who were the original settlers of the coast, and of the men and women from other cultures and countries who came in later years to live among them. The symposium will convene experts on the earliest Moravian presence in Labrador. It will meet in Makkovik and Hopedale and is open to the public. Topics deal with the Inuit and European world of Labrador in the eighteenth century, a world into which the Moravians came. Papers will examine Labrador in the eighteenth century, the archaeology of the Makkovik area, the first Moravian exploration of 1752, and the preparations for the first permanent settlement of Moravians at Nain. This is a multi-disciplinary gathering in which historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, and theologians will shed new light on the beginnings of the Moravians who came and - unlike other Europeans - stayed on the north coast of Labrador. The symposium will take place in two communities, Makkovik and Hopedale, and has connected with it other heritage events: a visit to the archaeological site at Ford�s Bight and the opening of the photographic exhibit at Makkovik. In Hopedale there will also be tours of the mission complex and museum, the Parks Canada house, and the historic Moravian graveyard. The symposium will provide intellectual content and a focus to heritage and tourism initiatives launched in connection with the 250th anniversary of the first Moravian exploration of Labrador.
Symposium Agenda August 8
Arrive in Makkovik August 9 7:00
a.m.
Breakfast (Community Hall) 2:30-3:00
p.m. Dr. John Kennedy,
Department of Anthropology, MUN August 10 7:00
a.m.
Breakfast (Adlavik Inn, Makkovik) Flight # 2 Photo Exhibit Labrador Through Moravian Eyes An Exhibit Celebrating the Moravian 250th Anniversary The year 2002 marks the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Moravian missionaries in Labrador. The Moravians were meticulous record keepers who wrote reports, drew maps and painted their Labrador surroundings. In the 1870s they added photography to their recording tools. Together their records give us their view of what life at the mission stations was like for Inuit and missionaries. From domestic activities to religious festivities, education, trade and travel we view Labrador Through Moravian Eyes. Following the reunification of Germany, access to the vast historical records held by the Moravian Archives in what had been communist-governed East Germany became possible. Housed at the archives is a unique collection of approximately 1,000 glass-plate photo negatives which were taken by the Moravian Missionaries in Labrador from the 1870s to the 1930s. Also preserved are rare manuscript maps of northern Labrador and architects� drawings, plans, and paintings of missionary settlements in Labrador. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador was instrumental in copying and preserving these rare images. Approximately 250 of the photographs and art will be displayed through an exhibit telling the story of the Moravians and their presence among the Inuit and settlers in Labrador. An appropriate historical narrative will place these images into a Labrador historical context. Accompanying the photographic exhibit is a photo album containing a full set of all 1,000 photographs in the Moravian collection. Related products are also a coffee table book and a CD-ROM version of the exhibit. Exhibit Tour Schedule
2002 08 08 11:45 a.m. |
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