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Lithuanian Papers Vol Lithuanian Papers Vol. 1, 1987 PAPERS PRESENTED TO TASMANIA UNIVERSITY UNION LITHUANIAN STUDIES SOCIETY Lithuanian Papers Vol. 1, 1987 PAPERS PRESENTED TO TASMANIA UNIVERSITY UNION LITHUANIAN STUDIES SOCIETY Published by Tasmania University Union Lithuanian Studies Society, P.O. Box 777, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 7005 Australia (g T.U.U. Lithuanian Studies Society Volume One, first published June 1988 All rights reserved. No part of this publication, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Printed in Australia by The Print Centre Pty Ltd., 140 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, 7000. Phone (002)233518 ISSN 1031-3958 Recommended Retail Price $5, plus $2 postage and packing within Australia. CONTENTS Page Introduction 5 Alec Lazenby Preface 6 Liz Watchorn Sociological Perspective in Lithuanian Studies 7 Jan Pakulski Captain James Cook and Georg Forster: Australia's First Link with Lithuania 11 Algimantas Taskunas Ignacio Domeyko 21 Sergio Montes Olegas Truchanas: A Profile 35 Max Angus Lithuanian Easter Eggs 43 Genovaite Kazokas 600 Years Christian Lithuania 48 John Doyle Notes on Contributors 58 Acknowledgements 58 4 Two views of the University of Tasmania: the University Centre (above), and the Morris Miller Library (below). 5 Introduction When I first heard about plans to establish a Lithuanian Studies Society in the University of Tasmania, I was delighted with the initiative; however, I must confess that I was not optimistic that it would succeed. After all we don't teach Lithuanian Studies, the number of Lithuanian students here is tiny compared with the total University population, and there did not therefore seem to be a critical mass to keep the whole thing rolling. I was wrong. The Society not only survived, it also thrived. It staged a monthly programme of activities throughout the 1987 academic year, the depth and variety of which would put most student societies to shame. The programme was not only of obvious interest to those members of the University with Lithuanian connections, but I believe, of considerable educational value to the whole University. Not content with that programme, the Society has now published a Year Book, which contains an account of the many excellent lectures and seminars sponsored by the Society in 1987. This is an admirable project; it will enable the culturally enriching influence of the Society to be extended to many members of the University who did not have the opportunity of participating in the Society's programme last year. I have read the contents with much interest, and, in the process, have learned a lot about Lithuania. I hope it will be similarly read and enjoyed not only by many other members of the University of Tasmania, but also in the wider community. May I commend the Year Book to you, and wish the Lithuanian Studies Society every success in the years ahead. Alec Lazenby Vice-Chancellor 10 May 1988 6 PREFACE To form a new society, especially within the environs of a university with such a�diversity of staff and students, is never an easy task. One can never be sure how it will be received, nor can its success be gauged with any certainty. The Tasmania University Onion Lithuanian Studies Society, however, can pride itself on a year of achievements. This is reflected in the following compilation of an excellent series of lectures, illustrating the impact Lithuania and Lithuanians have had on various aspects of Australian life. The lectures exemplify the aims of TUULSS. A body, which since its initiation in 1987, has undeniably made many aware on campus of the unique Lithuanian heritage. The society must acknowledge all who have shown interest and who have supported the body financially in their inaugural year. Sincere thanks go to the Australian Lithuanian Foundation and the Student Representative Council for their contributions as well as several individuals for their generous donations. Many have been involved in the formulation of 'Lithuanian Papers' but it is the individuals who so generously gave of their knowledge and time who must be remembered and thanked for their contribution. If a body is to be successful, it must be able to convey its interests and feelings to any interested persons. 'Lithuanian Papers' undoubtedly achieves this. It represents an historical and social bonus to the cultural life of the University of Tasmania. Liz Watchorn, President, T.U.U. Lithuanian Studies Society. 7 SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE IN LITHUANIAN STUDIES Jan PAKULSKI Department of Sociology University .,of Tasmania Sociologists often find out that analyses of small groups tell us more about societies than studies of large social aggregates. Studies of ethnic minorities in Australia may well illustrate this point; in particular, studies of successful (from the point of view of social adaptation) ethnic groups. All too often our attention turns towards underdogs - maladapted, marginalised, isolated and poor. It testifies to our moral sensitivity, but can hardly advance our knowledge of conditions and mechanisms of successful adaptation. The Lithuanian minority in Australia constitutes a particularly interesting object of sociological inquiry. Almost all its members arrived in Australia in the post-World War II period as refugees. They are predominantly Catholic; and they are, on average, one of the most highly skilled migrant categories in Australia. What is particularly interesting, they maintain their national identity, which is divorced from the identification with the actual state. It is, in other words, a cultural-religious identity. The estimates of the actual number of Australian Lithuanians vary between 10 and 12 thousand, including about 7,000 immigrants and 4-5,000 strong "second generation". This vagueness of estimates reflects both the blurred criteria of ethnicity (as applied by the ABS) and actual problems with counting ethnic minorities. Like all post-war refugees, the Lithuanians have a disproportionately high proportion of males and old people in their ranks. There are very few sociological studies of the Lithuanian minority. The first comprehensive papers on Lithuanians in Australia were published in the 1970s; in the sociological sense they still constitute an ethnic "terra incognita". I would like to suggest three aspects of Lithuanian ethnicity which, in my view, deserve special attention, and which may provide important insights into the processes of social adaptation. The first one is the process of immigration and settlement, in particular, the way Lithuanians h�ve adapted to the new social environment, integrated with the Australian society, and (partly) assimilated by adopting the language, norms and sometimes even the identity of the Anglo-Australian majority. This topic is interesting not only for theoretical reasons, but also for practical ones. Australia has adopted the programme of "multiculturalism" which envisages a pattern of adaptation very close to that successfully achieved by the Lithuanians. r 8 The core elements of the multicultural configuration are equality of opportunity (absence of ethnic stratification) social integration (absence of "ethnic ghettos"); and cultural adaptation without necessarily losing ethnic identity. From that point of view, Lithuaniaris could be seen as closely approximating the "multicultural model". This success in adaptation should encourage more detailed studies of the way in which this successful adaptation has been achieved. The second aspect which calls for more attention is the Lithuanian national (ethnic) identity itself. What does it mean to be a Lithuanian and an Australian Lithuanian? We know little about the process of formation and change of ethnic identification. We are aware of the asymmetry between self­ identification, identification by members of the same ethnic group and the classification by outsiders, but this knowledge is rather fragmentary. Lithuanian identity - cultural­ religious and de-etatised (that is, divorced from identification with the actual state) - could throw some interesting light on the more general process of formation and transformation of political refugee identity. This is related to another important point. Australian Lithuanians maintain a relatively high level of what sociologists call "ethnic transmission". They frequently intermarry (22 percent of grooms and 33 percent of brides), maintain their ethnic organisations (clubs, schools, etc.) and cultivate (though less successfully) their language. Mechanisms of such transmission, which results in a new ethnic category of young Australian Lithuanians, deserves more sociological attention. Finally, sociologists should look more carefully at Lithuanian "ethnic structures'' (institutions and organisations) formed in Australia. They deserve attention for many reasons. First, as already mentioned, they are close to the multicultura model in the sense of providing effective channels of social integration, rather than fostering ethnic isolation. They could serve as models for ethnic bodies which link rather than divide. Second, the study of ethnic institutions may throw some light on the process of formation of "ethnic cultures" (as different from "national cultures"). We already observe the formation of such "ethnic cultures" in larger minorities with lower socio-economic status. The Lithuanian minority would allow for studying this process in isolation from the elements of
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