Am Bratach No. 192
October 2007
editor@bratach.co.uk

Litir bhon ’a Cheathramh

le Alasdair MacMhaoirn

Bhuail The Backcoaster’s Diary orm gu mòr sa mhios seo chaidh. ’S ann mu dheidhinn fèin-measadh a bha e, agus mar a tha seo a’ toirt buaidh air croitearachd sa Ghàidhealtachd. Tha na h-aon gnòthaichean a’ tighinn a-steach air ceistean cànain cuideachd.

I was impressed with the Backcoaster’s Diary last month. It was about self-respect and how this can affect crofting. In fact similar questions arise with respect to language issues.

Dè cho Gaidhealach a dh’fhaodadh cuideigin a bhith as aonais na Gàidhlig? Chanainn gum b’ urrainn cuideigin a bhith gu math Gaidhealach cho fad sa tha ceangal làidir aca ris a’ Ghàidhlig, mar eisimpleir cuideigin a chaidh a thogail ann an coimhearsnachd Gàidhlig ach cha do thog e/i fhèin i, suidheachadh tuilleadh is cumanta anns a’ Cheann a Tuath. Ach, chan eil cùisean cho simplidh le an cloinn, no le cloinn na cloinne acasan. Tha e cho follaiseach anns na bailtean again fhìn. Tha blasad air a’ Bheurla fiù’s ag atharrachadh. ’S ann mar gun deach sealladh ùr a chur orra fhèin, leò fhèin, a-rèir slat-tomhais na Beurla. A bhith cruaidh, ’s e coigrich a th’annta a tha taobh a-staigh. Cha ghabh e bhith nach bi ceannachd ann.

Just how Highland can someone be without Gaelic? I would say that a person could still be very Highland, so long as there was a strong connection with Gaelic, for example someone raised in a Gaelic community, but did not pick it up themselves — an all too frequent occurrence. Things however, are not so simple for their children, or their children’s children. This is easily seen throughout the north, in fact even accents in English are changing. It is as if a new self-identity has arisen, but one according to Anglicised standards. To be rather harsh, it is as if people have become strangers, but from the inside, and this is bound to have consequences.

Chunnaic mi gu tric, gur iad na daoine a tha buailteach a bhith a’ cur sios air “incomers”, gun iad a’ tuigsinn gur iad “incomers” a th’ annta fhèin a thaobh nan dòighean smaoineachaidh aca. Nuair a thig e gu aon ‘s gu dhà, mar dà chù dhen aon seòrsa a’ trod, tha e col’ach gu bheil iad nas col’aiche ris na “incomers” na tha iad a’ faicinn. Carson nach bitheadh iad, ’s iad a’ coimhead air na h-aon phrograman tele, a’ leughadh na h-aon irisean ’s pàipearan. A h-uile rud a taomadh a-steach orra tro mheadhan na Beurla, gu chomas aca fiù’s na h-ainmean-àite timcheall orra a thuigsinn mar bu chòir. Feumar cuimhneachadh ge-tà, chan ann tron choire fhèin a thàinig seo gu bhith. Cha do bhruidhinn an sinnsearachd ri an cloinn ann an Gàidhlig. Ach tha e cudromach cuideachd cuimhneachadh gu bheil slighe a-mach às an staing seo.

I have often noted that is these very people who are most likely to disparage incomers, without understanding that they have become very like incomers themselves. The situation is like two dogs fighting each other, one much like the other. How could things be different? They watch the same tele, read the same magazines and newspapers with all of it in English with Anglicised attitudes pouring in on them, and the native strangers, to borrow a phrase, are without the ability to understand even the placenames around them properly. It must be remembered however, that most people are not to blame for their situation, as their own people did not speak Gaelic to them or to their parents. It is also important to see that there is a way out of all this.

Tha cuimhn’ ’am uaireigin gun cuala mi Tùsanach ann an Canada a’ bruidhinn mu na dòighean aca. Thuirt e nuair a bha co-dhùnadh cudromach ri dhèanamh gun coimheadadh iad air ais seachd ginealaich, agus air adhart seachd ginealaich air son tomhas fhaighinn air na h-adhbharan a bh’ann airson gach co-dhùnadh agus dè am buaidh a dh’fhaodadh a bhith ann mun coinneamh. ’S ann mar gu robh rathad ann eadar na bliadhnaichean a dh’fhalbh agus na tha ri teachd. Ge b’e cho fad far an rathaid a dh’fhaodadh iad a bhith aig àmannan, cho fad ’s gun faigh iad air ais iar an rathad mar bu chòir, gum bitheadh cùisean ceart gu leòr.

I remember hearing a First Nation person in Canada speaking about their ways. He said that when there was an important decision to be made, they would look back seven generations and also forward seven generations to try to get an idea of the roots and the consequences of their decision. It was all about a continuity between the past and the future. The idea being, that however far wrong things have gone at any point in time, if they could get back on the right track in the present, then the future would be better.

’S ann mar sinn a tha gnothaichean sa Ghaidhealtachd. Tha sinn gu math fada far an rathaid ann am iomadh seagh, cànan, dualchas, croitearachd, is eile. Ach le gliocas ’s fèin-measadh chan eil adhbhar ann nach toir sinn a’ Ghaidheatachd agus ar dualchas mar dìleab prìseil dha na ginealaich a tha ri teachd.

That’s how things are in the Highlands. We’ve gone off track in many ways, language, heritage, crofting etc. But with good sense, and self-respect we can pass on a wonderful physical and cultural heritage to the generations to come.