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Are you eager to stay informed about all things Icelandic? Look no further than the Icelandic Roots newsletter! Our dedicated team of authors and guest writers brings you insightful and engaging content on various topics related to Icelandic culture, history, travel, famous people, language, genealogy, and upcoming events.
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DNA, Genealogy and That Magic Thing That Makes an Icelander an Icelander-Roots of Icelandic Roots
By Rob Olason Icelandic Roots is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2023. But to arrive at the birthdate of Icelandic Roots in 2013,...
Aug 19, 20235 min read


787,642 People Later...
By Rob Olason Icelandic Roots Celebrates its tenth anniversary on November 12, 2023. The organization received its non-profit...
Aug 6, 20234 min read


The Icelandic Celebration of 1928 and 95 Years Later
In 1928, the Icelandic community of northeast North Dakota celebrated the Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of the settlement. A book,...
Aug 6, 20237 min read


Sarah's Story - Crazed by the Klondike
A new to Icelandic Roots member delved into the IR database and was surprised at the breadth of knowledge contained therein. What she...
Jul 8, 20238 min read


Mother of Light: A Novel
The Journey of an IR Volunteer from Genealogist to Author By Elin de Ruyter Writing a book is no easy feat, and though it appears from...
Jul 8, 20234 min read


Icelandic Writers Retreat
By Brian Borgford Who’s your daddy? Who’s your grampa? Better still, who’s your great-granddaddy? Icelandic Roots provides an...
Jul 8, 20233 min read


Many IR Teammates Gather in Banff
Twenty-three Icelandic Roots volunteers and five family members are in Banff celebrating the Icelandic National League's Convention...
May 14, 20233 min read


Fond Memory of Our First Trip to Iceland
By Valdine (Scrymgeour) Hernes My husband, Sigfred (I640085), and I (I639986) have visited Iceland four times. On our first trip in July...
Mar 19, 20232 min read


Encountering Genealogy Roadblocks
By Beth Finnson Genealogy roadblocks: who among us has not encountered one (or more) when researching family history? What do you do when...
Mar 5, 20231 min read


Trying to Identify 13,000 Photos of Unknown People
By Rus Magnusson Over the years, Icelandic Roots has collected thousands of wonderful old photos submitted by our members. Over 13,000...
Feb 19, 20236 min read


Welcome to Vesturfarasetrið
by Mallory Swanson Welcome to Vesturfarasetrið/The Icelandic Emigration Center in Hofsós, Iceland! In this tiny town in the north of...
Feb 19, 20234 min read


Members Helping Members and a New Look for the Database
By Beth Finnson A new Icelandic Roots program called Members Helping Members, and database updates were the topic for Samtal Hour on...
Feb 5, 20232 min read


The One-Family Icelandic Settlement- Remembering Life Near The Souris/Mouse River Valley
by Margret Indridason Grisdale Jan. 11, 2023 While talking to Sunna Furstenau on Icelandic Roots "Samtal Hour," I mentioned that I grew...
Jan 22, 20239 min read


What is an Icelander?
Editor's Note: This speech was delivered by Sigfús Haukur Sigfússon, Snorri West 2022 participant, to the INL Iceland convention on...
Dec 25, 20223 min read


Experience of a Lifetime
-By Owen Roberts The Snorri Trip was an experience of a lifetime. From the moment I stepped onto the Icelandair flight in Toronto, it...
Dec 11, 20222 min read


Could You Be A Snorri?
2022 was a banner year for the unique collaboration between North American Icelandic groups and Iceland. Known as the Snorri Program, ...
Nov 10, 20222 min read


My Journey
By Brian Borgford She had just celebrated her tenth birthday and was alone, on a six-thousand-mile journey to join her widowed father in...
Nov 10, 20222 min read


Happy Birthday, Icelandic Roots!
Nine years ago, Icelandic Roots was a dream shared by a group of Western Icelanders who wanted to connect with others across North...
Oct 30, 20222 min read


Snorri Plus Program Tour August 8-22, 2022
By Judy Dickson This August I was fortunate to be a participant in the Snorri Plus Program which had been forced to cancel plans in 2020...
Oct 14, 202210 min read


How do you Unlock the Stories of Your Emigrating Family Members?
By Beth Finnson Samtal Hour on September 26, 2022, was so interesting...as usual. Judy Dickson and Dave Jonasson co-hosted. They posed...
Oct 14, 20223 min read
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