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Fembøringen På Prærien FEMBØRINGEN PÅ PRÆRIEN Nordlandslaget af Amerika 1908-1945 Marit Martinsen Hovedfagsoppgave i historie Det samfunnsvitenskapelige fakultet, Universitetet i Tromsø Våren 2003 TAKK TIL… Jeg har, i likhet med mange andre hovedfagsstudenter, innsett at det å skrive en hovedoppgave er en langt mer tids- og arbeidskrevende prosess enn først antatt. Barn og jobb har også bidratt til at det har tatt tid å bli ferdig. Det har nå gått fire-fem år siden min veileder, professor Einar Niemi, først introduserte meg for Nordlandslaget. Jeg vil starte med å rette en takk til ham for oppgaveforslag, veiledning og tålmodighet underveis. Det er også mange andre som fortjener en takk for faglig og praktisk bistand, for mange til at alle kan nevnes her. Noen av dem føler jeg imidlertid at fortjener en spesiell takk. I forbindelse med kildearbeidet i Northfield i Minnesota var særlig professor em. Odd Lovoll og de ansatte ved Norwegian American Historical Accosiation og ved Rølvaag Memorial Library til stor hjelp. Jeg vil også rette en takk til Nordlandslaget styre og Nord-Norges redaksjon for velvillighet og for tillatelse til bruk av materiale. Her i Norge har særlig Norsk Selskab til Skibbrudnes Redning ved museumsbestyrer Dagfinn Bakka vært til praktisk hjelp. Jeg har dessuten mottatt økonomisk støtte fra Professor Oluf Kolsrud og hustru Borghilds Kolsruds legat og fra E. I. Hambros legat, og vil benytte anledningen til å takke for dette. Sist, men ikke minst, vil jeg rette en dyptfølt takk til familie og venner som har stilt opp til alt fra korrekturlesning og teknisk assistanse til barnevakt. For å nevne noen: Anita Bratlie, Anne Dahl, Gard Gya, Siri Martinsen, Lars Nordmo, Margaret Aarag Antonsen, Kenth Mikalsen og Frode Larsen. Oppgaven dediseres min kjære sønn, Sander. Tromsø, mai 2003. Marit Martinsen Forsiden: Nordlandslagets offisielle symbol, Fembøringen. Motivet er hentet fra Thorolf Holmboes maleri ”Storbaaten under flere Klo Vind”. 1 INNHOLDSFORTEGNELSE TAKK TIL…......................................................................................................................................................... 0 LISTE OVER KART OG FIGURER ................................................................................................................. 4 FORKORTELSER ............................................................................................................................................... 4 KAPITTEL 1: INNLEDNING............................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Tema og målsetninger.......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Forskning og begreper ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.1 Fra ”Melting Pot” til ”Ethnic Revival”....................................................................................... 9 1.2.2 Identitet — konstruert eller essensiell?..................................................................................... 11 1.2.3 Symbolenes rolle...................................................................................................................... 14 1.2.4 Annen forskningslitteratur........................................................................................................ 15 1.3 Kilder og kildekritikk......................................................................................................................... 15 1.3.1 Kvalitativt materiale................................................................................................................. 16 1.3.2 Kvantitativt materiale............................................................................................................... 17 KAPITTEL 2: FRA NORD-NORGE TIL AMERIKA ................................................................................... 21 2.1 Nord-Norge........................................................................................................................................ 21 2.2 Utvandringen...................................................................................................................................... 22 2.3 Det ”norske” og det ”nordnorske” Amerika....................................................................................... 24 2.3.1 Bygdelagsbevegelsen ............................................................................................................... 28 KAPITTEL 3: ”VI NORDLÆNDINGER KAN BLIVE EN MAGT IBLANDT VORE LANDSMÆND”.... Perioden 1908-1910............................................................................................................................................. 33 3.1 ”Sammenslutning af Nordlændinger”................................................................................................ 33 3.1.1 På rotur med biskop Bang................................................................................................................... 33 3.1.2 20. januar 1909: ”Nordlandslaget af Amerika” ble stiftet .................................................................. 37 3.2 ”Hjemme blant vore egne.” De første stevnene ................................................................................. 38 3.3 ”Aa spyt nu i Næven og tag godt i!” Redningsskøyteinnsamlingen .................................................. 41 3.4 ”Et Samlingsmærke for Nordlændingerne i Amerika.” Tradisjoner og motivasjon for deltagelse .... 46 KAPITTEL 4: ”VI KALDER DET ’NORD-NORGE’” Perioden 1911-1915................................................ 48 4.1 ”En hel Flaade med Nordlændinger til rors”...................................................................................... 48 4.2 ”Nordlændingernes Jubilæumsgave”................................................................................................. 50 4.3 Grunnlovsfesten i 1914...................................................................................................................... 56 4.4 Tilbake til hverdagen ......................................................................................................................... 57 4.5 Tidsskriftet Nordlandslaget/Nord-Norge ........................................................................................... 58 4.6 Medlemmer og styre 1911-1914........................................................................................................ 62 4.7 Nordlendingene på Vestkysten organiserer seg ................................................................................. 63 4.8 Symboler, språk og retorikk............................................................................................................... 65 4.8.1 Fembøringen............................................................................................................................. 66 4.8.2 ”Nordlændinger”, ”Finmarkinger” — og Nord-Norge............................................................. 67 4.8.3 Nordnorsk identitet uttrykt gjennom språk og fortellinger ....................................................... 70 4.8.4 ”Vi snakkede Nordlænding så de spruta.” Om bruk av dialekt ................................................ 73 KAPITTEL 5: ”AT FRIT OG UHINDRET KUNDE TALE SIN NORDLANDSDIALEKT”........................ Perioden 1915-1920............................................................................................................................................. 75 5.1 ”Krigen var […] i manges sind så alt for nær”................................................................................... 76 5.2 ”Beire Bla finnes ikkje i heile Amerika!” .......................................................................................... 81 5.3 Nordlandslagets medlemmer og styre under første verdenskrig ........................................................ 82 5.4 Variabel aktivitet i lokallagene .......................................................................................................... 84 5.5 Danselag, kirkemøte eller ”mindefest”?............................................................................................. 85 5.6 Amerika — ”vort eget land”.............................................................................................................. 88 2 KAPITTEL 6: ”VI HAR GIT AMERIKA MER EN AMERIKA HAR GIT OS”............................................ Perioden 1920-1925............................................................................................................................................. 91 6.1 Rølvaag ved roret. Stevnene 1920-1922............................................................................................ 93 6.2 Nord-Norge i hardt vær...................................................................................................................... 96 6.3 Baumann som ”høvedsmann”............................................................................................................ 98 6.4 ”Duluthkarene” tar over................................................................................................................... 101 6.5 Hundreårsfesten for norsk utvandring i 1925................................................................................... 102 6.5.1 ”In your hands our country is secure…” ................................................................................ 103 6.6 Ny aktivitet på lokallagsnivå...........................................................................................................
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