Mac-talla, May, 2003

It was the first time in history such a province-wide popular mobilization had been conducted. And, indeed, it involved more Gaelic-speakers in a political event since the mass petition campaign in 1920 when nearly 5,000 people from 230 communities signeda petition demanding Gaelic be added to the provincial curriculum, not to overlook the famed coal miners’ strikes of the 1920s.

Nova Scotians brought a wide spectrum of passion and perspective on Gaelic’s future – in Sydney, Antigonish, Halifax, Trenton, Glendale, St. Ann’s, Christmas Island, Johnstown, Broad Cove and Mabou.

The meetings were organized by the Gaelic Development Steering Group (GDSG) established two years ago by individuals from the Department of Culture and a number of language activists and educators generally operating under the umbrella of the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia. But the current government interest is really attributable to years of political work by Gaelic speakers and activists. The school system, reflecting official policy, for instance, has given Gaelic little support despite the tens of thousands of speakers of the language. As a result, the community consistently resisted the erasure of the language.

The meetings were also an acid test of popular interest for a new language policy, the government wanting to be sure that they weren’t just dealing with a narrow group of activists with no public support, and hence took a "hands off" approach.

The response presented a clear picture of the interest among Gaels of preserving their language, which they tied closely with their sense of identity and community, as well as the need to harmonize the interests of the different language groups.

A blustery icestorm greeted the Halifax meeting on November 6. Yet thirty people turned out for what facilitator John Hugh Edwards termed "a conversation as to why Gaelic is important": the consultative process, he said, has become"a bad word" in the province.

He focused discussion on five subjects outlined in a draft Policy statement: language education including "heritage language" status, the social status of the language, the role of media and publishing in Gaelic language development, economic development and the Gaelic arts.

Many frankly expressed a deep concern and anger about the future of the language.

Carolyn MacGregor-Hines voiced her "moral outrage that something so critical to the soul of a culture faces being lost."

Jane Harnish, who had met revered Gaelic-speakers as a child without realizing it, also emphasized her outrage: "it is my language."

Many participants stressed that the elimination of the language is linked to fostering mass cultural homogenization and uniformity of thinking. Ann Blair, from Newfoundland, attacked the policy of government double standards, saying that "the promotion of the culture without the preservation of the language is outrageous", "especially when we are faced with a cheap and commercialized culture." Some Celtic culture and Gaelic institutions have been commercialized too.

Joe Murphy, Celtic Studies at Saint Mary’s University, reported on his small group discussion of six Gaelic speakers.

"Our language expresses a way of thinking, a different way of thinking, just as the First Nations have a different way of thinking, expressed in their language."

He emphasized the necessity of unifying Gaels as a collective ratherthan isolated individuals, of developing signage and occupying spaces such as the First Nations have with pow wows and the Acadians have with sports and cultural festivals, and of the need for "a government policy that is pro-active rather than reactionary".

"People have had so many doors slammed in their faces. There is no small amount of resignation. People need to know they are going to be listened to."

Tony Seed, Gaelic Council, said that one of the aims cannot be to further sellout Gaelic and the rights of all by characterizing Gaelic as a "heritage language" – "a nice-sounding liberal abstraction devoid of any content, a paternalistic mask to justify second-class citizenship and to further use language to divide the citizenry". It is a legacy of 19th century British colonialism.

If ensuring the possibilities for the flourishing of Gaelic and other languages such as Mi'kmaq and Acadian is the consideration then full resources must be provided for education: while English is recognized as the official language of communication in Nova Scotia, the equality and rights of all languages would be recognized.

He also pointed out "the necessity to bring about a modern Constitution for Canada which recognizes the rights of all."

A critical issue is to move beyond "influencing the decision-makers" to being the decision-makers, and Mr. Seed made concrete suggestions for the development of Gaelic organization and political culture and mechanisms to subordinate government policy to the citizenry.

In this vein, Lewis MacKinnon and others attacked the concept of Gaelic as a "heritage language".

Mr. MacKinnon said that it implies that Gaelic is something from and for the past, something "ethnic", "folk" and "quaint’ rather than a modern "functional and living language" used on a day-to-day basis by Gaels in the modern culture and social settings – a language that is constantly being modernized and standardized. It implies a folklorization that threatens to reduce its culture and existence to a mere remnant of the past. Neil MacLean (pictured) stressed that, 'se Gˆidheil a th'annainn, "we are Gaels in Nova Scotia" and denounced the tartanization that has taken place.

The path forward, said Mr. MacKinnon, lies in creating modern arrangements, in enshrining equal rights for our children to be raised and taught in their language but also the means to carry that out – the right to be. A recurring theme was thus the right to education in the medium of Gaelic, pre-school play groups and adult learning programs, and not as some fringe, extra-curricular activity or an isolated class, a sure way to lose Gaelic.

Many defended the place of Acadian and the Mi'kmaq languages in Nova Scotia, asserting that they would like all to work together to achieve their rights. Different Acadians and Natives participated in the meetings. One Acadian wrote from the Pubnico area criticizing the noticeable lack of publicity and media coverage. Indeed, the media failed to make a contribution to the discussion in a serious manner.

Any "conversation", to be memorable, should give rise to positive movement. Mr. Edwards noted in his report that people demanded something stronger than "heritage language" status, and the absence of any consensus on fostering a "Gaelic economy", given the extent of commercialization of "Celtic culture". Since December, the GDSG has held two follow-up meetings and will be holding further community meetings in the future.

The degree of participation in the regional hearings showed the profound concern of people of all walks of life and national and linguistic backgrounds to provide the language issue with a final settlement in a manner which serves the interests and needs of all.