ICELANDIC ROOTS – BRIDGING THE PAST INTO THE FUTURE

“Icelandic Roots is so much more than a database…this is your family, your heritage, your culture.”  

-Sunna Olafson Furstenau

President and Founder of Icelandic Roots

DEDICATED TEAMWORK

After more than twelve successful years as a qualified nonprofit 501c3 organization, Icelandic Roots’ growth has surpassed expectations. The momentum is undeniable, much due to the force of a volunteer team that spans three continents. Icelandic Roots' mission of keeping connections strong and continuing to educate the pubic about Icelandic history and culture is admirable.

From the Icelandic Roots website:

“Today, there are nearly as many descendants of Icelanders living in North America as there are Icelanders in Iceland. We're inviting you on a journey through Icelandic culture and history as you’ve never experienced it before...”

Iceland receives a lot of interest from the public in general. For those of us with Icelandic heritage, the compulsion to tell our Icelandic stories remains embedded within us in this digital age, no different than when our Viking ancestors were regaling tales around the fire.

Icelandic Roots (IR) offers various levels of membership. People can choose the level most suited for their interests, whether it is learning about the Icelandic settlements and traditions in Canada and the US, or engaging with the ultimate all-access membership that includes the IR database. The many facets of historical elements captured in the database facilitate building an incredible ancestral story and an understanding of the many generations over the centuries. This is certainly a must for anyone studying their genealogy. Icelandic Roots’ ultimate responsibility is ensuring our history is recorded accurately and cultural connections remain active for generations to come.

SPREADING THE WORD

We strive to find something for every interest with the Outreach program:

Public Newsletter:  A bi-weekly newsletter, Rætur Fréttir, or “Roots News”, is sent to public subscribers as well as those with a registered membership. We publish historical and contemporary articles relating to science, nature, folklore, music, food, and more. We focus on a theme for each year. Most recently, we have profiled stories of the

Settlement Era in Iceland, the Art and Culture of Iceland, and family stories. This year, in 2026, we are focussing on the settlement communities and the stories related to the area, the people and what makes this settlement so unique. Many of our articles are also published on the Icelandic Roots public Facebook page.

Members' Newsletter: Samkoma, meaning “to come together”, is also a bi-weekly publication specifically for members with different content than that of Roots News. Samkoma presents opportunities for coming together with shared interests mostly over Zoom. In addition, there is also a member-only Facebook page.

Are you interested in reading more about Icelandic life and lore? Subscribe with your email to receive the Roots News. Members will receive both this Roots News, the public newsletter, as well as the Samkoma.

Podcasts: Plug in your ear buds, sit back and enjoy the podcast team's presentation of Icelandic heritage and culture from the past and present. Join Cass Heigaard, Jack Plumley, and Owen Roberts, as the team showcases Icelandic heritage and culture from the past and present through topics like folklore, language, food, literature, and music. They also profile notable Icelanders throughout history and talk to some interesting people along the way. Access to the podcasts is available on the Icelandic Roots Podcast page or Podbean.

WHERE TO GET STARTED?

Right here! Feel free to join the activities that interest you, be it the Icelandic culture, its history, or heritage. Most are held online, are interactive, and always educational. Attendees claim they are always learning something new.

As mentioned, the newsletter announces upcoming public and member-only events, but you can also visit the Icelandic Roots website under “Join Our Events” found under the "Community Outreach" tab. You choose what piques your interest.

Membership or not? Continue to ponder that thought as we show you what is available as a member:

ZOOM WITH US

Samtal Hour

“Samtal” means “conversation” and that is what we do during the hour. We talk. We have a conversation on various Icelandic topics every second Monday from September to May through a Zoom link. Our host, Judy Dickson, introduces our guest, and after we listen to their short presentation, the remainder of the hour is shared in conversation. During the summer, June – August, we meet once each month.   

Book Club

The IR Book Club meets once monthly on Zoom with host Heather Goodman Lytwyn. She curates a series of books profiling Icelandic authors, stories about Icelandic life and lore, or one with an Icelandic theme for the seasons Oct – Nov, then Jan – May. Whether the book is read or not, Book Club is about coming together to explore stories and storytelling. There are many IR members who are also accomplished authors and attend on a regular basis.

Roots Tips

If you want to know WHAT is available and HOW to maneuver through the many member pages of the database, this is where you need to be! Knowing how and where to access the information it is critical to your research success.

Join Roots Tips on Zoom with our host, IR volunteer and newsletter editor-in-chief, Rob Olason. He and the volunteer experts provide guidance to the membership. Behind the scenes each volunteer works diligently to populate the database with information and make it even more user friendly. Rob and his guest keep us up to date and preserve the presentations on video.

Webinars and Seminars

Lots of excellent information is available through these presentations advertised on our Event Calendar at Join Our Events. While most webinars are presented to the public, the seminars are for members only. They are hosted by IR volunteers and cover interesting Icelandic topics. Both webinars and seminars are recorded and maintained on the Icelandic Roots YouTube channel, but only members have access to the seminars.

LET’S DO IT!

Membership Options: There is something for everyone, far more than names and dates!

• All-access membership for those who are interested in all aspects of Icelandic Roots. There are various pricing options.

• Samkoma Community membership for those who are simply interested in our activities, not including the database. Anyone is welcome; you don't have to be of Icelandic heritage.

  
  

I encourage you to check out the membership offerings at Icelandic Roots Membership.

Reading further down that page you will see the various community offerings for each level.

Also, if someone you know would enjoy exploring the Icelandic culture, consider gifting them a link to their heritage.

IT'S A WIN-WIN

As a non-profit, all volunteer organization, Icelandic Roots membership fees are dedicated to preserving our Icelandic heritage. Funds raised through memberships, donations, and our only annual fund raiser, known as Cultural Crossroads in 2025, are paid forward. Deserving organizations and individuals are awarded heritage grants or scholarships for their endeavors to learn more about or preserve the Icelandic culture, history and language.

Icelandic Roots philanthropy of continuing education of our history and culture is at the core of our mission. You are a part of that with your membership.

IN ADDITION...

Cousins Across the Ocean: Membership or not, if you are of Icelandic descent everyone is encouraged to complete the Cousins Across the Ocean form. Essentially, this form ensures that each family's legacy is preserved, protected and remains accessible for generations to come. Please see further details defined on the Cousins Across the Ocean page.

Privacy and Security: For those with concerns regarding privacy and security, Icelandic Roots has ensured due diligence in securing all details entrusted to us. Please see the Privacy and Data Protection page for details.  

WE WELCOME YOU...

...to join us in our many activities as a member of Icelandic Roots. Everyday we learn more about our families and link cousins to cousins they didn’t know they had. We can share our past and embrace our future together.

STRONG IS THE BOND!