Koozma Tarasoff of Ottawa, a well-known Doukhobor historian, has taken issue with an account of the film Doukhobors and Sons of Freedom by Trona Garvie which was among the films shown at the Yorkton Film Festival last month.
The film was the subject of a story by Kathy Morrell that was printed in the May 19 issue of the Kamsack Times.
Tarasoff discusses the Doukhobor history, elements of the film and his objects to claims made in the film in a lengthy post on his Internet webpage entitled Spirit Wrestlers.
“It is rare for journalists, even scholars, to report about Doukhobors without errors or bias, which misleads the public and descendants of the Spirit-Wrestlers,” said a review of the film posted on the Spirit Wrestlers website by Koozma J. Tarasoff and Andrei Conovaloff. “Those who created the event and video are commended for their efforts in trying to clarify that Sons of Freedom are not ‘Doukhobors,’ but facts and context were missed.
“This short (11 minute) video was finished three months ago and is best viewed from YouTube,” the review said. “It is a documentary recorded on July 4, 2015 at the Doukhobor Dugout House (DDH) near Blaine Lake during the special event 2015 Theme Day which said that ‘There is a Difference; Doukhobors were rational; Sons of Freedom were fanatical.’”
The division of Doukhobor immigrants and descendants into three separate groups is not always understood, and is confusing to outsiders because many are neighbours, intermarried, relatives, friends, co-workers, and neither the press nor government clearly separated them, the website’s review said. “This context was not clearly presented.”
The review said that the video opens with narration by John J. Verigin Jr., “erroneously presented” as president of the Doukhobors of Canada, while is actual title is executive director of the Union of Spiritual Communites of Christ in British Columbia. He does not represent all Doukhobors in Canada, rather the largest organization of ‘community’ Doukhobors in British Columbia, the USCC, over 1,000 km (600 miles) away from the video recording site. He came as an honoured guest, and perhaps to participate in this video.
“At the beginning of the narration, each speaker is identified once for a few seconds. Their labels do not repeat, so viewers need to pay attention, recognize who is speaking, and remember their label. Unfortunately distinctions between community and independent Doukhobors are not presented, nor is it clear how Sons of Freedom really differ, until the end.
“Balanced reporting should not have omitted the majority of independent Doukhobors who remain in Saskatchewan, especially in this locally produced documentary video. Mixing different Doukhobors with the history of Sons of Freedom zealots in British Columbia reinforces the biases which this DDH event was trying to explain. The journalists often mixed totally different things without clearly labeling who is talking about what, when, where, why or how.
“Most of the video cuts from scene to scene, added visual interest to the interviews, without explaining the scene,” it says. “While four people are talking on different topics, images are cut showing flags, visitors (including some Doukhobors), and many photos and exhibits on display at the DDH museum, while a recorded Doukhobor hymn quietly plays in the background sound. Much of the DDH can be seen, but many shots of the grounds are missed.
“Kathy Morrell’s report of the film in the Kamsack Times has several factual errors plus faulty treatment of data,” the information by Tarasoff and Conovaloff says.
The caption on picture of Doukhobors moving to British Columbia shows ‘1905 to 1906,’ whereas the historic date was 1908 to 1913, it says. Most Doukhobors did not resent public education. This was largely a view of the extremist zealots who called themselves svobodniki, free men. P.V. Verigin called them goli (nudes). This protest movement would later be translated by/for the press as ‘Freedomite,’ and after 1920: ‘Sons of Freedom,’ who divided into separate groups over time.
“Excessive persecution in Russia occurred in 1895 after Doukhobors burnt guns and refused military service. They also clashed with the Orthodox Church not because of ‘excessive wealth and authoritarian practices,’ but rather because Doukhobors opposed the whole structure of the church itself, saying that the spirit of God resides in every human being.
They did not denounce the ‘Russian government,’ but rather they denounced the right of tsars, kings, and queens to control their citizens. To attribute blame on the ‘Russian’ label is a popular but dangerous spin tactic often used today by the Western media. That is dangerous propaganda in a nuclear age!
For Doukhobors all men and women are brothers and sisters in spirit whose essence is sacred, the information said. Demonization is a notion they wish to avoid. Non-killing is their central ethic.”
The website includes a number of “mistakes” which Tarasoff is eager to correct. The address is: www.spirit-wrestlers.com.
