Continuity of Norwegian Tradition in the Pacific Northwest - by Henning K Sehmsdorf (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Based on extensive fieldwork, the book explores the celebration of the Norwegian American heritage in the Pacific Northwest to provide a sense of community, a cultural home missing in much of contemporary, commercially and technologically driven, urban life.

Review Quotes

"Continuity of Norwegian Tradition in the Pacific Northwest, contains 123 pages chock-full of interesting photos, ideas and information about activities, outlooks, and traditions passed down from our Norwegian forebears in the Puget Sound area. Many of us have treasures, recipes, and traditions inherited from our Norwegian antecedents. How rich these have made our lives!

The author describes the ways Norwegian Americans in the Pacific Northwest continue to celebrate their heritage by membership in ethnic organizations, such as the Sons of Norway and the Daughters of Norway and various choirs, and by participation in seasonal celebrations, musical events, dances, dinners, cross-country skiing, language classes, crafts, and cuisine.

Sehmsdorf looks at the stories Norwegian Americans tell, the time-honored values and beliefs they hold, and the skills they practice, from making and playing traditional instruments to dancing, weaving, knitting, and costume sewing, silversmithing, boat building, and more.

The book explores where these traditions come from at what time period in the sociocultural history of Norway, and how the country from which Norwegians emigrated between 1825 and the 1930s has changed since the discovery of oil in the North Sea in 1971.

The book is based on fieldwork, personal interviews, and tradition questionnaires. It contains photographs of 19th-century Norway and of contemporary tradition practices among Norwegian Americans in the Pacific Northwest today.

This book is fascinating. Sehmsdorf brings his deep knowledge and experience of Norway and folklore to bear to clarify complex ideas and worldviews with elegance."

-- Beth Kollé, Seattle (excerpted from an article originally appearing in the Feb. 12, 2021, issue of The Norwegian American.)