FACES AND PLACES: Denver does it again (11/16/03)

THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAMINE-GENOCIDE IN UKRAINE

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

Denver does it again

Readers of The Ukrainian Weekly will recall that on April 28, 2001, Ukrainian Americans in Denver, commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster with events that lasted two days. A full-page story appeared in the June 17, 2001, issue of The Weekly.

Denver has a relatively small contingent of Ukrainian Americans. They're small in numbers, but big in ideas. When Ukrainian Denverites commemorate Ukrainian events, they don't do it in some isolated, "for Ukrainians only" locale, where Ukrainians speak exclusively to Ukrainians. The Chornobyl event took place in Denver's Chessman Park, where the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (Soyuz Ukrainok) had planted an ash tree and dedicated a Chornobyl commemorative bench in 1986.

Given their approach to Ukrainian commemorations, it should come as no surprise that this year Denver's Ukrainians did it again. This year they put together a 70th anniversary commemoration of the Great Famine (Holodomor) that was held on the campuses of Regis College and the University of Denver.

The Regis College event was held on Friday, November 7, in the Science Amphitheater. It featured history professor Dan Clayton; Cheryl Madden; Regis emeritus professor Daniel Gallagher, a jovial Irishman and local political mover and shaker who recently became a member of the Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Byzantine Ukrainian Catholic Church; and this writer, who served as a public member of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine. Soyuz Ukrainok (UNWLA) prepared and coordinated an exhibit of Ukrainian breads for the occasion.

A highlight of the evening was a reading by local poet Rawdon Tomlinson, whose original poem dedicated to the Famine brought many in the audience to tears.

The following day some 45 history and social studies teachers from various high schools in the state attended a seminar at the University of Denver (UD). The theme was "Food as a Political Weapon." Presenters included Dr. Carol Helstotsky of the department of history, whose topic was politically engineered food shortages in Italy during the Mussolini years, Ms. Madden, who offered a power-point presentation about the Great Famine featuring letters by 1932 inhabitants in Ukraine to their relatives in the United States and Canada, and this writer who reviewed his recently updated Famine Resource and Curriculum Guide for Teachers.

Originally published in 1983, the Famine Guide was recently re-published by the Ukrainian National Association.

An exhibit coordinated by Soyuz Ukrainok featured Ukrainian breads, Ukrainian embroidery and books on the Famine. Soyuz Ukrainok also provided a complimentary lunch for all participants.

Evaluations by participating teachers, some of whom will receive one hour of graduate credit from the University of Denver, responded with an average score of 3.6 and a scale of 1 to 4.

One teacher commented that he had learned more in one day than he often learns in a semester. Another believed that the $15 participation fee was too low. "I didn't expect much at that price," he wrote, "but I was pleasantly surprised. You could have charged $100 and it would have been worth every penny."

The weekend concluded with a commemorative divine liturgy at Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church, where three priests concelebrated and hundreds participated.

Special praise belongs to Dr. Ania Savage, who coordinated the UD event and was able to obtain graduate credit for the teachers who participated; Taras M. Bugir, who prepared a CD on the Famine for teachers; Tatianna Gajecky-Wynar, who organized the exhibits; Marta Arnold and Inya Saldyt, respectively, UNWLA president and treasurer; Olena Morozewycz who prepared a commemorative cross for the occasion; Roxolana and Misio Wynar, young activists who convinced some of their college colleagues to help out and to sign cards demanding the revocation of Duranty's Pulitzer Prize; Lileya Palissa, who organized a candlelight remembrance on Saturday evening; and Nadya Mironenko, who coordinated the food drive.

Denver is not the first community to hold workshops for teachers this year. A similar event was held on October 16 at Rider College in Lawrenceville, N.J., where the newly revised, UNA-produced teacher's curriculum guide was used for the first time.

Teacher-training events were also held in Chicago, Detroit, Newark and Denver back in 1983. Twenty years later, it's time to do it again. Why not hold workshops every year, not just once every so often?

Our community needs to get the Famine message out because no one else will. There are many ways to do it, but one of the best is through a university that is willing to offer graduate credit to teachers. It's a big project, but it can be done if a handful of dedicated individuals decide it should be done. The UNA will supply you with the Famine curriculum guides. Let Denver be your guide. Get busy!

Myron Kuropas' e-mail address is: [email protected].

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