Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

DONSA/CARDING BOARD

Date Range From

1890

Date Range To

1920

Materials

WOOD, STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

8.2

Length

82.9

Width

18.1

Description

WOOD CARDING BOARD HAS FLAT PIECE CUT IN SHAPE OF A PADDLE. RECTANGULAR END WITH SLIGHTLY CURVED NARROWING OF OPPOSITE END. HAS HANDLE NAILED IN PLACE AT NARROWER END. HANDLE IS BLOCK OF WOOD THAT HAS SAME WIDTH AS NARROWER END OF PLANK. THIS HAS A SQUARE OPENING CUT IN MIDDLE, AND ON ONE SIDE HAS HANDLE PIECE OF THE SAME WIDTH AS HOLE EXTEND UP THE BOARD. HANDLE IS OPEN UNDERNEATH, AND EXTENDS DOWN TO BOARD AT END, IS HERE THE SAME WIDTH AS THE HANDLE AND SQUARE OPENING ON OPPOSITE SIDE. BOTTOM OF PLANK HAS NOTCH CUT IN IT AT NARROWER END WITH A WIDER SQUARE OPENING. WOOD IS CRACKING AND SPLITTING IN MANY SPOTS. NAILS ARE CORRODING.

Subjects

TEXTILEWORKING T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

ETHNOGRAPHIC

History

DOUKHOBOR ARTIFACT MADE BY SIMEON I. VERIGIN. ***UPDATE: ON 8 JUNE 2010, GALT MUSEUM COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT NICOLE HEMBROFF VISITED DONOR MICHAEL VERIGIN AT HIS HOME IN COWLEY ALBERTA (CORNER OF NANTON STREET AND RAILWAY AVENUE) IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE UPON THIS ARTIFACT’S LIMITED DOCUMENTATION. VERIGIN’S ANSWERS TO HEMBROFF’S WERE RECORDED AS NOTES AND ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE THIS DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE AND OTHER ARTIFACTS DONATED BY THE VERIGINS. THIS BOARD IS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CARDING COMB (SEE P19950032001) FOR CARDING WOOL AND FLAX. A LARGE WOODEN COMB WOULD BE INSERTED INTO THE HOLE. A PERSON WOULD PLACE THE BOARD ON A BENCH AND SIT ON THE BOARD TO STABILIZE THE APPARATUS. WOOL WOULD BE PLACED IN THE TINES OF THE COMB. THE WORKER WOULD USE A SECOND COMB TO SEPARATE AND LENGTHEN THE TANGLED FIBERS OF THE WOOL. THE OUTCOME OF THIS PROCESS CREATES FIBERS THAT ARE READY TO BE SPUN. SIMEON I. VERIGIN MADE THE DONSA. HE WAS MICHAEL VERIGIN’S GRANDFATHER. THE DONOR GOT THE DONSA THROUGH HIS FAMILY. HE SAID, “WE HAD ALL OF THE PIECES FROM THE FAMILY. WE INHERITED THEM.” VERIGIN HAS PASSED SOME OF THE FAMILY HEIRLOOMS TO HIS DAUGHTER – INCLUDING THE CARDING COMBS. MICHAEL AND DORIS VERIGIN DID NOT USE THE DONSA. “IT WAS JUST NEGLECTED. I STILL HAVE ONE IN THE BASEMENT,” SAID VERIGIN. THE VERIGINS DONATED THE ARTIFACT TO THE GALT BECAUSE HE VALUES HIS HERITAGE AND WANTS TO SEE IT PRESERVED. HE HAS ALSO MADE DONATIONS TO THE PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA. VERIGIN GREW UP IN A COMMUNE THREE MILES EAST OF COWLEY, AB. DORIS GREW UP IN A COMMUNE IN CASTLEGAR, BC. HE SAID, “WE (MICHAEL AND DORIS) MET IN BC AT THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE DOUKHOBORS IN CANADA. IT WAS A THREE DAY CELEBRATION IN GRAND FORKS IN 1949.” OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS HE MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO BC AND HE WOULD OFTEN MEET HER THERE. HE SAID, “IN 1955 I WAS WORKING IN THE OKANOGAN. SHE WORKED THERE TOO. I HAD TO APPROACH HER PARENTS. I HAD TO PROVE THAT I COULD PROVIDE FOR HER AND THAT I LOVED HER. WE HAD A SMALL GATHERING AT HER HOUSE – A BETROTHAL.” DURING THE BETROTHAL A DATE WAS SET FOR THE WEDDING. A MONTH LATER, ON DEC. 1, 1955, VERIGIN RETURNED TO BC. THEY WERE MARRIED AT A SMALL GATHERING AT HER PLACE. ON DECEMBER 3, THEY CAME TO AB AND HAD ANOTHER WEDDING AT HIS PARENT’S HOUSE. THIS WAS A LARGE GATHERING, MADE UP ALMOST ENTIRELY OF DOUKHOBORS. HE HAD ONE CANADIAN FRIEND THERE. HE HAD THE PLACE OF HONOR NEXT TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM AT THE DINNER TABLE. IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR A DOUKHOBOR BRIDE AND GROOM TO SHARE ONE PLATE OF FOOD ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. VERIGIN’S FRIEND WAS UNAWARE OF THIS PRACTICE AND ASKED IF THEY HAD FORGOTTEN A TABLE SETTING. AFTER DINNER, GIFTS WERE GIVEN. THE COUPLE STOOD IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. THEY HAD TO KNEEL TO THE GIFT GIVERS AND KISS THEM. TYPICAL GIFTS INCLUDED MONEY, DISHES AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. THE DOUKHOBORS GREW THEIR OWN FOOD ON THE COMMUNE. EACH FAMILY HAD A LITTLE GARDEN PLOT NEXT TO THEIR HOUSE. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A LARGE, CENTRALIZED COMMUNITY GARDEN. THEY WERE ABLE TO GROW THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR FOOD BUT HAD TO BUY THINGS LIKE SUGAR AND FLOUR. ALSO, DOUKHOBORS ARE PACIFISTS. ONE PART OF THE WAY THEY PRACTICED PACIFISM WAS THROUGH VEGETARIANISM. THEIR DIET CONSISTED OF SOUP, POTATOES, CARROTS, BEANS, AND ON SOME DAYS THEY HAD BORSCHT AND PIROHI. THE DONOR IS STILL A VEGETARIAN ALTHOUGH MANY DOUKHOBORS HAVE ADDED MEAT INTO THEIR DIETS. DOUKHOBOR MEETINGS WERE HELD EVERY SUNDAY. THE COMMUNE HAD 13 SMALL VILLAGES. ALL OF THE PEOPLE GATHERED AT THE COMMUNITY HOME. VERIGIN’S CURRENT HOUSE IS LOCATED IN THE SPOT WHERE THE COMMUNITY HOME SAT. THE MEETING BEGAN WITH PRAYERS. PRAYERS AND HYMNS WERE SUNG. AT MEETINGS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY COULD ALSO BRING UP IMPORTANT MATTERS OF BUSINESS. BOTH WOMEN AND MEN HAD A SAY IN THE DISCUSSION AND DECISIONS. MEETINGS DID NOT HAVE A LEADER OR PASTOR. NO ONE CLAPPED AT THE MEETINGS. THE DONOR’S GRANDFATHER, SIMEON I. VERIGIN, WAS THE FIRST DOUKHOBOR TO SETTLE IN AB IN 1915. THE MAJORITY OF DOUKHOBORS LIVED IN BC IN KOOTENAY AND GRAND FORKS AREA. WHILE SOME OF THIS LAND WAS SUITED TO FARMING, IT COULD NOT PRODUCE THE QUANTITIES OF FEED OR RAISE THE AMOUNT OF HORSES NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN THE DOUKHOBOR COMMUNITY. THEY HAD BEEN GETTING MOST OF THESE SUPPLIES FROM SASKATCHEWAN, WHICH WAS QUITE A WAYS AWAY. THUS, THE COWLEY DOUKHOBOR COMMUNE WAS DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A CLOSER SUPPLY OF FEED AND HORSES TO THE BC COMMUNITIES. IN THREE YEARS THE ALBERTA DOUKHOBORS OWNED 12000 ACRES OF LAND WORKED BY 306 SETTLERS IN 13 VILLAGES. WHEN THE DOUKHOBORS ORIGINALLY CAME TO CANADA THE GOVERNMENT PROMISED THEM FREE LAND. THEY SETTLED NEAR EDMONTON, AB. ACCORDING TO HTTP://WWW.CANADIANHISTORY.CA/IV/1867-1917/LAURIER_BOOM/OLIVER1.HTML FRANK OLIVER CHANGED THE FOCUS OF CANADIAN IMMIGRATION POLICY. HE WORRIED THAT NON-BRITISH IMMIGRANTS WOULD LOWER THE QUALITY OF CANADIAN SOCIETY. THUS, HE DID NOT WANT GROUPS LIKE THE DOUKHOBORS IN ALBERTA. WITH BOATLOADS OF PEOPLE COMING FROM RUSSIA, ANOTHER PLAN HAD TO BE MADE. THE FIRST BOATLOAD WENT TO CYPRUS IN SASKATCHEWAN. IN THE MEANTIME LAND WAS FOUND IN THE YORKTON AND PRINCE ALBERT AREA IN SASKATCHEWAN. THEY LIVED AND FARMED COMMUNALLY. THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT LIKE THE COMMUNAL LIFESTYLE PRACTICED BY THE DOUKHOBORS. ACCORDING TO VERIGIN, “SINCE THIS WAS HOMESTEAD LAND, TO VALIDATE IT AND OWN IT, YOU HAD TO LIVE ON YOUR 160 ACRES, WORK SO MANY ACRES FOR THREE YEARS AND LIVE ON IT. IF YOU MET THESE REQUIREMENTS, TO HAVE OWNERSHIP YOU MUST ALSO SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO THE ENGLISH CROWN. THE DOUKHOBORS LIVED COMMUNALLY, AND SAID WE SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO ONLY ONE KING IN HEAVEN. FOR THIS REASON, IN 1907, THE LAND WAS LOST.” IN BC, THE DOUKHOBORS WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE LAND FROM PRIVATE OWNERS. OWNING THEIR OWN LAND ALLOWED THEM TO LIVE THE WAY THEY WANTED. IN 1925, MONEY WAS BORROWED FROM THE BANKS AND BY 1938 THEY OWNED LAND IN THREE PROVINCES. THEY OWED $319,000 AND EVENTUALLY THE BANKS FORECLOSED. THE COLONIES SHUT DOWN. IN 1939 THEY WERE TOLD THEY COULD MAKE GRAIN PAYMENTS FOR TEN YEARS OR LEAVE THE LAND THEY WERE ON. MICHAEL’S FATHER, MIKE SIMEONOVITCH, STAYED WITH A FEW OTHERS WHILE THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY MOVED AWAY. WHEN THE GALT PUT ON THE DOUKHOBOR EXHIBIT IN THE MID 1990S THEY CONTACTED MICHAEL VERIGIN. DURING THE EXHIBIT, THEY HAD A DOUKHOBOR CHOIR PERFORM AND SING AT THE MUSEUM. THE CHOUR CONSISTED OF 100 PEOPLE FROM BC, AB AND SASK WHICH WENT ON A WORLD TOUR. THEY WERE WELL RECEIVED IN LETHBRIDGE. IT WAS ENTITLED THE “VOICES OF PEACE TOUR.” THE TOUR AND EXHIBIT COMMEMORATED THE DISARMAMENT OF THE DOUKHOBORS IN TRANSCAUCASIA. THEIR AIM WAS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STRIVE FOR 100 YEARS OF PEACE (AND PRESUMABLY MORE) IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. A VIDEO EXISTS OF THIS PERFORMANCE PUT TOGETHER BY 2&7 NEWS. JUNE 23, 1995. ACCORDING TO VERIGIN, DOUKHOBOR CHOIRS HAVE ALWAYS SUNG A CAPPELLA. IT IS TRADITION. HE SAID, “OTHER CULTURES HAVE TO HAVE NOTES AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO MAKE MUSIC. WE CAN SING AND HARMONIZE WITH OTHER DOUKHOBORS NO MATTER FROM WHAT AREA THEY COME FROM.”

Catalogue Number

P19950033000

Acquisition Date

1995-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail