In 2009 I
took photos at a Clan Gathering Homecoming in Edinburgh – where many of the
Scots diaspora celebrated their roots. There are about 11 million of Scots descent living abroad. As many Scots
live in Canada as in Scotland. Waves of Scots were forced to flee their
homeland during the highland clearances in two waves – first after the Jacobite
wars in 1750s (lets be clear these were European religious feuds /wars and included
solders from Ireland, France, Germany – they were not the English fighting the
Scots!)
 |
| atholl highlandes |
The second
wave was early 19th century - and also again after the first world war, people
of the beautiful Hebrides and Orkney islands were spun yarns of the great life
they could have over the seas. It was a direct de-population and suppression of Highland peoples and their culture and stories. It was a way of spreading the
British empire worldwide.
Each year
Canada hosts the Glengarry games.
Of course we
don’t learn anything of the clearances, Jacobites, Scottish inventions,
Scottish writers or artists or even of Robert Burns, if we study Scottish
history at Scottish secondary schools. Instead history teachers in Scotland have had to teach of the glories of the British empire, Shakespeare or Tudors. It’s
a shocking state that there is such historical ignorance here. Hopefully things have improved today?!
At least
that’s what I had to study. Now I am older (and hopefully wiser) I am teaching
myself Scottish history. It makes me both very sad and angry that when I walked
the ancient streets of Edina in m youth I knew nothing. I did visit the castle and art
galleries and I taught myself something of the Stuarts and of Mary Queen of
Scots, at those places. There were the poets who wrote to keep Scots culture
alive after the union of 1707. Lets also be clear – this was never a union of
equal partners – it was about a few ambitious Scots careers and for greed.
According to Janice Charette, Canadian
High Commissioner UK, the ties are robust to Scotland: On the calendars across Canada there
are Caledonian events, from Highland Games to Burns nights. “Canada prides
itself on being a diverse, multi-cultural population - one of strengths.
Also in Vancouver they have combined Burns night and the Chinese New Year
into a major event. It is called the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival so Scottish
and Chinese Canadians and other Canadians of all origins come together for it. They
eat haggis and dim sum, drink single malt whisky while watching a traditional
Chinese dragon dance to the accompaniment of bagpipes.” “It was only since I came to live in
Scotland that I began to understand my own country’s story. The heritage of the
diaspora – the poetry, the songs, the literature - allows you to see through
Scottish eyes and appreciate just how much this small country gave to Canada.”
But the real
Scots history is not here in royal portraits – but with the ordinary Scots.
Fortunately
the Scottish songs and music and stories live on in Canada!
The young
President Justin Trudeau, who has a Scottish grandfather, visited Edinburgh in July to mark the Canadian celebrations.
**The Canada STORY
This Saturday marks150th anniversary of
the founding of Canada - The British North America Act of 1867 marks the
provinces of Upper and lower Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick “shall form
and be One Dominion, under the name of Canada.” Gaelic
Scotland were part of the founding of present day Canada. The first Scots
arrived in Nova Scotia1620s. Men from Orkney arrived a century later, recruited
by the fur traders from Hudson’s Bay Co.
The first Canadian Prime Minister John Macdonald was from Glasgow, his
father was from Sutherland and his mother a Shaw from Badenoch. Of Canada’s 23
prime ministers14 have had Scottish roots including Justin Trudeau, whose grandfather hailed from Banffshire. It was
Macdonald, along with Scots George Stephen and Donald Smith, who were
responsible for the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway coast.
