The Holodomor Genocide Memorial event Nov. 20 at the Chapel Gallery was a collaboration between the Battlefords Ukrainian Cultural Council, the Holodomor Awareness and Education Committee and the Chapel Gallery. The Holodomor Genocide took place during the winter of 1932-1933. Estimates of the number of dead are 6-13 million people. This genocide took place during peacetime, inside the borders of Ukraine. To the outside world, there was no crisis; news coverage was intentionally blocked by Joseph Stalin and the government of the USSR.
North Battleford singer, Clarence Briand, opened the program by leading “O Canada.” MCs for the event were mayor of North Battleford, Ryan Bater, and mayor of Battleford, Ames Leslie.
Speakers included Jim Shevchuk and Rhea Good who are involved in the provincial Holodomor Awareness and Education Committee.
Paul Kardynal and his three grandchildren Cayden, Mariska and Ty lit the memorial candle, which burned during the event.
Erin Foreman and Natawna Foreman provided music, notably a piece called “1933 - a Song for Holodomor Remembrance.”
The event featured Saskatoon author Marion Mutala and her newest book, My Dearest Dido: The Holodomor Story. Mutula spent the day in North Batlteford doing school visits at St. Mary School, Ecole Monseigneur Blaise-Morand and John Paul II Collegiate. She brought her guitar and performed a song she wrote about the Holodomor, and talked about her decision to write a book about the difficult topic of genocide. Reading from the novel to each of the four school groups was moving.
Marion was also very busy selling and signing her books at the evening event. The Light of Christ School Division purchased a class set of the novel, which can be loaned out within the division.
Good talked about the school-based activities that took place on November 18 and 19. She visited four classrooms at Holy Family School and Lawrence School to do presentations. After the lesson about Holodomor, students made a “bottle of grain” just like the bottle hidden by Maria Soroka’s grandfather, a story told by Maria, a Holodomor survivor. Students took the bottles home to their families.
Recognizing the atrocities of the Holodomor, and all genocides, is important so that, as citizens, we fortify our solidarity against ideologies of hate and the power of lies, and so that we strive to respect the dignity of all humanity.
For information about how to become involved with the Holodomor Awareness and Education Committee, please contact Rhea Good. 306-481-5149
Students Poems:
Hunger and death
Of the Ukrainian people their
Lives tragically lost with
Overwhelming
Deaths of friends and loved ones this
Ongoing tragedy
Months
Of a
Roaving hunger amongst the Ukrainian people
By Abigail Polnicky
Grade 7 Holy Family School
Hunger
Out of food
Lives were lost
Ovens had no use
Death of loved ones
Over
Many terrible things
Oh, how hungry they were
Bemember them
By Berlin Porter
Grade 7 Holy Family School
Holodomor
Out of luck for food
Love
Out of food
Don’t take food from another
Others matter
Mothers matter
Only leaves to eat
Remember
By Jaylee Kubik
Grade 4 Holy Family School
Hunger
Out of food
Live with food and die without
Out of luck
Death because no food
Other people need food and love too
Memories of people who died of starvation
Only soldiers get to eat
Remember to be thankful
By Madden
Grade 4 Holy Family School
Hopes
Of
Love and peace
Or to accept the nature of
Death
Or to
Make peace with life
On these special days we
Remember the things that happened to humankind
By Gabe
Grade 6 Lawrence School
Help is what we needed
Our cries were not answered
Life was unfair
Oceans of grain were lost
Death was not my choice
On I would fight
My life matters
Out of luck
Reign of terror
By Link Mirlin
Grade 6 Lawrence School
Hope in their hearts!
Only one option
Leaving home to stay safe
One more dying, and the other one is dead
Death wasn’t my choice
Our grain is gone, we have nothing!
My life is lost!
Our bodies need food!
Remember the ones who are lost and gone.
By Mya Moosomin
Grade 5 Lawrence School
