Lithuanian camps
Lithuanian camps abroad are Lithuanian parks with lots of Lithuanian monuments and symbols. They are a unique part of Lithuanian heritage and monuments to the willpower of diaspora Lithuanians to help their children continue the path of Lithuanian culture.
These camps are located mostly in the US and Canadian countryside. Every summer (and sometimes beyond summer) they attract hundreds of Lithuanian kids and adults from the cities who spend a week or two there with Lithuanian activities, language, and surroundings.
They were established after World War 2. At the time, up to 100 000 Lithuanians were forced to leave Lithuania as the Soviet Union was conquering it and relaunching the Soviet Genocide. These people saw themselves as exiles rather than emigrants and it was very important for them not only to create pieces of Lithuania abroad for themselves but also for their kids, so their kids would keep the Lithuanian flame going.
For those who lived in the Lithuanian districts such as Marquette Park of Chicago, this was easier, as there were many Lithuanian kids around. However, for those living further away (and, with the white flight taking place in the inner cities of the US rust belt, this meant more and more of Lithuanian-Americans), this was far more difficult. Many Lithuanian-American kids had few or no other Lithuanian kids around, let alone a context where they could speak Lithuanian, sing Lithuanian songs, etc.
For that reason, one of the first major undertakings that united Lithuanian-Americans of various cities ~1950s was to buy up the lands for such Lithuanian camps where their kids could be imbibed in the Lithuanian atmosphere and also be among only other Lithuanian kids for at least a week or two every year.
A network of Lithuanian camps was established ~1950s-1960s which covered all the areas where Lithuanians lived (although, unlike with Lithuanian churches, it was acceptable for a Lithuanian camp to be hundreds of kilometers away, thus, their number was never high). Each camp was typically cared for by some Lithuanian organization, often the Lithuanian Catholic organizations or the Lithuanian-American Scouts (coed and ethnically based, their ideas were brought from Lithuania and they are not part of the American scouts). Some camps were operated on rented lands but, as it was important to have Lithuanian monuments and buildings for a truly Lithuanian atmosphere, owned premises were preferred.
Among the key Lithuanian-American camps are “Rambynas” (California, serving the US West Coast), “Neringa” (Vermont, serving the US East Coast), “Dainava”, “Rakas”, “Pilėnai” (all three in western Michigan, chosen for its strategic location between Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland), “Kretinga”, “Romuva” (both in Ontario, Canada). Over the decades, more and more monuments, artworks, and buildings were added there, often each “generation” of those who spent summers there leaving something of their own. There were a few more camps in less Lithuanian territories (Uruguay, Quebec) that were closed 1990-2000 and their lands sold.
Some Lithuanian camps could be visited as parks while others are typically closed outside the times of operation. All welcome those who want to join their activities in the summer (most of the time is dedicated to Lithuanian-speaking kids, but there are more and more English-speaking heritage weeks, as well as adult weekends).
Article by ©Augustinas Žemaitis.