How Icelandic Roots is Growing with Cousins Across the Ocean | New Books, Festivals & Genealogy Ideas

Sunna Furstenau, President of Icelandic Roots and head of the Genealogy Team, along with Becky Byerly-Adams, the Outreach Director, joined us to explore everything from new books and upcoming webinars to the evolving future of the Icelandic Roots database—and why preserving our stories matters now more than ever.

We talked about how the team is finding new ways to engage the community: through voice and video capture, integrating personal histories directly into the database in ways that make it feel alive and deeply human. Sunna and Becky also shared updates on in-person events like the Deuce of August and Íslendingadagurinn, and gave us a glimpse into the excitement around the next group trip to Iceland.

This conversation dives deeper than names and dates—it’s about connection. Whether online or face-to-face, Icelandic Roots is a collective effort to honour the legacy of our people. Sunna and Becky offer a heartfelt look at how community, storytelling, and technology come together to shape a living archive for future generations.

Fill out the Cousins Across the Ocean form and share with others: https://www.icelandicroots.com/cousins-across-the-ocean