Nr. 40
EESTI ELU reedel, 7. oktoobril 2022 — Friday, October 7, 2022
Building your child’s connection to their Estonian heritage The story of my first word is one of my mother’s favourite memories to share. I was just over a year old when she was pushing me in a shopping cart at our local grocery store. She had turned her back just a moment when she heard a small but proud “KUKKU! KUKKU!” [“kukku” referring to the act of falling.] There I was, standing with both arms up in the cart, hitting a new milestone and forewarning my potential fall. This was the beginning of my journey being half-Estonian, born and raised in Toronto, Canada. My Estonian Heritage My maternal grandparents were born in and raised in Saaremaa, Estonia and later sought refuge in Canada. Estonian identity wraps around me like a warm blanket. I have colourful memories of running down the Eesti Maja hallways attending lasteaed, hearing stories from my ancestors, or feeling the emotion of the audience at Laulupidu as I sang “Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm” alongside the Toronto Eesti Koolikoor and many others. There is a sense of comfort when I meet another Estonian or see the coat of arms stuck to the back window of an unknown car because I am reminded that I belong to a resilient and supportive community. The Importance of Cultural Identity Cultural identity is a broad concept based on the distinctive characteristics common to people of a given community. Rahvariided, folk singing and dancing, rye bread, sauna and kringel are a handful of my favourite examples when thinking of Estonian cultural identity. These concepts, as well as wellbeing, are complex. Strong cultural influences do have a significantly positive impact on children’s health and develop-
An Estonian… (Continued from page 13)
over when one of the connecting rods inside of the engine broke while driving out of East St. Louis, Illinois. With their fellow racers speeding ahead, they had to tow the car and find somewhere to tear everything apart. Thankfully, a friendly Chevrolet dealership was nearby, where they were given access to a service bay and parts. In an amazing feat of endurance, they repaired Miss Purity and drove all night long to Odesa, Texas, where a bewildered group of partying racers saw Miss Purity pulling up. In the end, as reported in the
15
“Lääst Blääst” brings out some 700 to Estonian House in farewell gathering. Performers reach back to favourite songs decades ago
ment. Introducing Estonian culture to your child is not the sole solution to avoiding mental health issues, but it can help them feel they belong to a larger community, give ancestral tools of comfort or healing, or bring connection within a family. A Journey Together My journey into motherhood and raising an Estonian-BritishCongolese child has challenged me to find creative and fun ways to weave each culture into our everyday lives at home. This is challenging because I do not speak Estonian fluently and I have found myself further away from the Toronto-Estonian community after the past few years. There is beauty and bonding as my daughter and I learn about our cultural identities together through reading, play and music. I welcome you and your family to join us on this journey. Here, I will be sharing simple activities, books and resources to engage children and build their connection to their Estonian heritage.
Urmas Kärner, Järvi Raudsepp, Andres Raudsepp with hat, Lauri Raudsepp.
Photo: Mall Puhm
About the Author Ivi Lindau is a Child and Family Therapist and registered social worker with her own private practice, Time In Therapy. She holds a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care from Humber College and a Master of Social Work from the Uni versity of Toronto, specializing in Children and Families. Her extensive work in communitybased organizations includes Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto and Catholic Family Services of Peel-Dufferin. Recently, Ivi has launched an e-commerce store, Our Time In, to connect families with therapist-recommended books and toys to support children’s mental health and overall wellbeing at home. Learn more at: www.timeintherapy. com and www.ourtimein.com
aforementioned Popular Mecha nics issue, Otsason’s team tied for first place with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who used a “converted [AMC] Gremlin” in the hybrid category. Ford enrolled two professional engineers of theirs at Wayne State University and won the race with a fibreglass Capri coupé. Yet, the publication notes that “the competition admits [is] ‘the grooviest car running.” That’s certainly the best compliment to receive in the 70s. Both before and after the race, the team’s car caused a media commotion. They appeared on TV, in The New York Times, and in a short film narrated by Orson Welles. They were visited by the U.S.
Ansambel ,,LEEK“: Elin Marley, Ingrid Silm, Kadri Nõmmik, Raja Raudsepp with guitar, Maarika Hiis, Kairi Hemingway. Photo: AR
Standing room only audience at Estonian House.
National Air Pollution Control Administration, which is now the Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, Otsason and the achievements of Miss Purity appeared in Vaba Eestlane newspaper on multiple occasions from 1970 to 1971. Three months after the race was over, the team and the car were received at an international congress for clean air in Washington, D.C. They built more low-emission vehicles, including a fully electric one. Eventually, though, funds ran out and the team members moved on. Miss Purity was sold to the National Research Council Canada, and Otsason later went on to work for 35 years at Enbridge Inc.
As of 2020, the body and chassis of the car were being restored in Ajax by team member Steve Baker. So the legacy of this engineering feat lives on. But what can we learn about propane as a viable alternative fuel source? Propane has been used for school buses, trucks, recreational vehicles, and in machinery like forklifts. Commenting on a 2019 study by West Virginia University, Forbes notes how “the combustion of liquified petroleum gases (LPG) like propane is more complete and efficient than gasoline or diesel, which means that the amount of carbon monoxide and hydro carbons is far less... It emits virtually no soot.”
Photo: AR
At the same time, Canada’s National Energy Board and Competition Bureau points out that propane is a “by-product of natural gas and crude oil refining...” Propane also has “27% less energy than a gallon of gasoline,” which means the fuel economy is lower. The lack of locations to refill, and special maintenance required for both vehicles and fuelling points makes it less appealing. All things considered, looking back at Jüri Otsason and his team members’ innovative designs is a reminder of how long engineers have been trying to make automobiles more sustainable, and how there is still hope in that endeavour.
