The library has many sources relating to the Sons of Freedom, or Freedomite, sect of the Doukhobors. The following is a selective bibliography of materials available from the library.
The collection focuses on publications by the Sons of Freedom, and has many sources on the internment of Freedomite children from 1953-1959.
Please note: this list is not exhaustive, and as this material is still under copyright protection it has not been included in the online Doukhobor Collection.
Works on the Sons of Freedom
Avrich, Paul H. “Sons of Freedom and the Promised Land.” Russian Review 21 (1962), no. 3: 264-276.
A discussion of the history of the Sons of Freedom and their relationship to the governments of Russia and Canada, and assesses the possibility of emigration from Canada and a possible return to Russia.
Bennett, W.A.C. “Doukhobors: Excerpt from Premier W.A.C. Bennett’s Policy Speech: Given in Legislature, September 18, 1953.” Victoria: Queen’s Printer, 1953.
Discusses of the policy of the government of British Columbia in regard to the Doukhobors.
Christian Community and Brotherhood of the Reformed Doukhobors in British Columbia, Canada. An Open Letter-Appeal to the Society of Friends (Quakers) Living in Canada and in Canada and in the United States of America. Crescent Valley, British Columbia (Krestova), May 24, 1954, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
Reply to a request for information the Society of Friends (Quakers) received by the Doukhobor leaders. It explains the Doukhobors’ position and outlines the wrongs perpetrated against the Doukhobors, especially the Sons of Freedom. It focuses on the internment of Freedomite children in the government residential schools.
Commeree, David Lee, Irene Jeanette Foerster, and William Basil Mundy. “Migration of the Sons of Freedom (Lower Mainland).” M.A. Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1964.
This thesis follows the migration in 1962-1963 of the Sons of Freedom to protest the incarceration of members of their community in Mountain Prison. It looks at different segments of the journey and the impact the migration had on the Sons of Freedom.
Fraternal Council, Union of Christian Communities&Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors. “A Public Indictment of J.J. Verigin, Secretary of the Orthodox Doukhobors: For His Deliberate Distortion of the Doukhobor Faith.” Krestova, British Columbia: February 11, 1954, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
Accuses J.J. Verigin of misrepresenting the Doukhobor faith in an interview with Emmett Gulley, which was then made public. It outlines the tenets of the faith and the history of the Doukhobors.
___________. “Open Letter to A.A. Gusskin, Sondalo , Italy .” 1955, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
Discussion of the internment of the Freedomite children and the desire of the families to be reunited. It includes many letters and telegrams from the parents of the children, the judges involved in the case and leaders of the Doukhobors discussing the case.
___________. “Our Reply to the Yelping Howls of the Jackals and Hyenas of ‘ISKRA’ Against Our Society, Committee&Our Spiritual Brother and Advisor – S.S. Sorokin: Specifically to Arishenkoff N.D., Bondareff – (Chutskoff, Who is Already Hiding Under an Alias), Legebokoff P.P., Lebedeff W.D., Popoff E.A., Rilkoff J.J., and to all Arch-Criminals and Arch Conspirators.” Krestova, British Columbia, 1961, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
This document outlines an argument that many of the charges laid at the Sons of Freedom were not accurate and explains an alternate view of events. Note: the library copies of this document in both English and Russian.
Hill , Margaret . “The Detention of Freedomite Children, 1953-1959.” Canadian Ethnic Studies. 18 (1986), no. 3: 47-60.
This article outlines the history of the internment of Sons of Freedom children as a way to modify the behavior of the community. It discusses the causes of the internment, the internment itself and the impact it had on the community. It includes oral histories given by the individuals affected.
Holt, Simma. Terror in the Name of God: The Story of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1964.
This book discusses various aspects of the Freedomite community.
Johnson, F. Henry. “The Doukhobors of British Columbia: The History of a Sectarian Problem in Education.” Queen’s Quarterly (Offprint) 70 (1964), no. 4.
This article discusses the system of enforced education and the way the government dealt with the resistance on the part of the Doukhobors to participating in public education. It also compares the situation to the similar problems in Saskatchewan.
Righting the Wrong: The Confinement of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor Children . Ombudsman, British Columbia. Report no. 38, April 1999.
This document, published by the government of British Columbia, includes a report on the internment of the Freedomite children and assesses the impact the internment had on the children, including loss of affection and family life as well as loss of civil liberties. It concludes with a list of recommendations for the government.
Righting the Wrong: A Progress Report . Ombudsman, Province of British Columbia. Report no. 43, March 2002.
This report assesses the progress of the actions in response to Righting the Wrong: The Confinement of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor Children, and uses letters and other material from the interned children to explore the current situation.
Perepelkin, John J., Mike W. Hadikin and Bill J. Jmaeiff. “An Open Letter to B.C. Attorney General Robert Bonner.” Fraternal Council, Union of Christian Communities & Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors, 1953, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
This letter outlines the story of the Doukhobors and the wrongs done to them. It focuses on the story of the nursing mothers who were arrested for public indecency and taken to Piers Island in 1932. It tells how three babies were taken from their mothers into the care of nurses, and how they were neglected so badly they died. It includes a letter written by one of the mothers.
Perepelkin, J.J. “The Doukhobor Problem in Canada: A Prototype Copy of the Hebrew People in Egypt.” Translated and Edited by J.E. Podovinkov. Fraternal Council of the Union of Christian Communities and Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors, 1959, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
This is a booklet published by the Sons of Freedom to explain their way of thinking and elicit sympathy for their cause. It draws parallels between the Doukhobors and other groups throughout history to demonstrate their point.
Schein, Chaim (Life). “I Accuse . . : An Open Letter to the B.C. Government.” Fraternal Council of Union of Christian Communities and Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors, 1957, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
This pamphlet accuses the government of British Columbia of abusing the rights of the Doukhobors and acting like an authoritarian government; it outlines many charges against them including conspiracy against the Doukhobors and creating a public climate of intolerance towards them.
Sorokin, S.S. “Doukhobor Affairs Inside Out . . . : A Letter to Col. F.J. Mead.” Trail, British Columbia: Fraternal Council of Union of Christian Communities and Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors, 1957, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
Col. F.J. Mead was a retired RCMP officer who was critical of the way the police and government of British Columbia were handling the Doukhobor situation. This open letter outlines the situation as S.S. Sorokin saw it, as leader of the Sons of Freedom.
___________. “Further about the Doukhobor Affairs . . . Inside Out.” Translated by Fraternal Council of Union of Christian Communities and Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors. Trail, British Columbia: Fraternal Council of Union of Christian Communities and Brotherhood of Reformed Doukhobors, 1958, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
In this pamphlet S.S. Sorokin, who was then leader of the Sons of Freedom, outlines tenets of his philosophy. He also discusses articles written about him by Simma Holt, and challenges her stand on his motivations and the Sons of Freedom.
Tarasoff, K. J. “Report on the Press of British Columbia Regarding Doukhobor and “Sons of Freedom” News.” North Burnaby, British Columbia: August 30, 1958, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
This report was undertaken by Tarasoff, an editor of an English language Doukhobor publication, to assess the coverage of Doukhobors, arising from a challenge from the editor of the Vancouver Sun to make a balanced survey. It covers many small and large publications in British Columbia and assesses them individually. It includes conclusions on the press coverage and several recommendations to improve diversity of opinion.
Tarasoff, Koozma J. “An Interpretive Review of a Deceptive Book.” Mir: A Doukhobor Youth Publication 2, May 1974: 5-7, The Doukhobor Collection, Special Collections and Rare Books, W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University.
This review gives a Doukhobor perspective on Simma Holt’s book about the Sons of Freedom, intended for a Doukhobor audience.
___________. “Doukhobor Survival through the Centuries.” Canadian Ethnic Studies 27 (1995), no. 3: 4-23.
This article tells the story of the Doukhobors in Russia and Canada and explains the context in which the actions of contemporary Doukhobors fit.
Yerbury, J.C. “The ‘Sons of Freedom’ Doukhobors and the Canadian State.” Canadian Ethnic Studies 16 (1984), no. 2: 47-70.
This article outlines the historical context of the confrontation between the Sons of Freedom and the Canadian government.
