Some time ago, Judi and I visited the Scugog
Shores Museum and their Pioneer Fall Fair. We were impressed
with village interpreters and how they assumed the identity of the pioneers
they were portraying. It wasn’t just the costumes. It was the little things.
The way they spoke. The knowledge they displayed about their tasks and staying
within character during conversations with visitors.
We have visited quite a few
re-enactments and pioneer villages and they all seem to attract people who have
these characteristics in common! Re-enactors and village interpreters are, in
most cases, unpaid volunteers. They do it for the love of history and they have
a lot of fun doing it! Just think, they are portraying our forefathers in the
heat of summer! No air-conditioned buildings! Dressed in “hot” old fashioned
materials! I asked one re-enactor how he coped with the wool uniform he was
wearing. He just shrugged and smiled and said “You get used to it after a while!”
I wondered what he meant by “after a while”! Did he mean when the
leaves started to fall and it was time to stoke up the coals in the fireplace?
No matter, these wonderful, dedicated
historians continue to keep our past vivid and alive! Thank goodness there are
people out there that care so much!
If anyone reading this article is
interested in becoming a village interpreter or re-enactor, the pioneer
villages and re-enactment groups are always looking for new volunteers. Just
contact your nearest pioneer village and they can steer you in the right
direction.
Who know, the next time Judi and I visit
a pioneer village or re-enactment, we might be snapping a picture of you! If we
are, let us know. We will make sure the photo ends up in one of the articles we
are writing.
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