Ask what Gaelic can do for you!
Kenneth MacKenzie; Mairi Britton with music student Ruby; Màiri, Mary Jane & Heather.
Bun os cionn
April 23, 2021
Host: Mike Kennedy
Guests: Màiri Britton & Kenneth MacKenzie
Visitors to the sixth and final session of Air Chéilidh: The Gaelic Narrative Project were greeted by gorgeous tunes played on the clàrsach (harp) by Màiri Britton, Antigonish. She was also one of the guests for the session, Bun os Cionn: Ask not what you can do for Gaelic, but what Gaelic can do for you.
Host Mike Kennedy welcomed everyone and set the stage with a few stories from the Gaelic community of Nova Scotia that point to a nagging narrative that Gaels and their language may be less worthy than other peoples and languages.
He then turned to his two guests, Màiri Britton and Kenneth MacKenzie, who stories counter that narrative; by learning, embracing, researching and teaching Gaelic, through parenting, and as musicians and community leaders.
What we heard
Màiri Britton is originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, a place she says has more Gaelic speakers than people think, and where she first heard Gaelic. She credits the wonderful Féis movement in Scotland for providing opportunities for her to learn Gaelic, music and dance. After 5-year old Màiri returned from a Féis workshop she announced to her parents: “They were speaking this language and I don’t understand it, so now I have to learn it.”
Her supportive parents, Bruce and Karen Britton, who have no recent Gaelic heritage or connection, listened to their daughter and guided her path. Her mother found her an immersion experience in Lewis when Màiri was 14, which was not only impactful in terms of language acquisition, but community involvement. Màiri went to live with Katie Mary and Donald MacKenzie in Ness and remembered going to local government meetings with Katie Mary. As a four-year old learning about the Clearances she would get angry at injustice. She sees delving into one’s own history and culture as a way of developing empathy for others who have been oppressed and continue to be today. “I wanted to do something to heal that, and still do.”
Although she intended to move to Nova Scotia for one year, she has been here for five. Interesting projects keep drawing her in, such as the Language and Lyrics Project, managed by Heather Sparling at Cape Breton University, which has digitized more than 4,000 Gaelic songs.
Working on songs she said has given her a better sense of the place she has chosen to live in. She particularly loves the community of Margaree. When she reads songs from Margaree bards, it makes her feel grounded in that place.
“It’s just so nice to discover a place through the eyes of someone who also loved it and put it into such beautiful poetry.”
Kenneth MacKenzie grew up across the ocean from Màiri, in Mabou, Cape Breton, to parents who chose to speak Gaelic to their children.
“That was the most fortunate part of my upbringing,” he said. “That my parents chose to walk down that road, bringing up our family in Gaelic.”
Kenneth’s father, Ronald, was a native speaker from South Uist and his mother, Maureen, reclaimed her parent’s language as an adult. Maureen made sure Kenneth and his brothers and sister were exposed to tradition bearers, went to Gaelic events and to learned music.
Like many young people, Kenneth went out to explore the world and it was in South America that he had a bit of an awakening. After a few months there he found himself in internet cafés listening to videos of a wonderful Mabou fiddler. “I realized, what am I doing in an internet café in Bogotá listening to Willie Kennedy when I could be home.”
Home he came, and now Kenneth, a fiddler and piper, lives in Mabou with his wife Jenny and his three children under five. He has chosen to speak Gaelic to his children.
“I remember holding the babies for the first time: they are twins. I think it was Duncan (I was holding) … it was so clear, there was no question what language I was going to speak to him. It was very automatic.”
Kenneth feels that speaking Gaelic to his children has made him a better father personally. He wants them to learn Gaelic and needs to spend lots of time with them to do this It has also directed his career. He is Director of Education at Colaisde na Gàidhlig | The Gaelic College, St. Anns, and Vice-President of Beinn Mhàbu, the College’s new campus in Mabou. He is working with other parents on an independent immersion school and has a vision to help young Gaels find their place in the world.
“Values that are important to us as Gaels are values important to many cultures, folk cultures, around the world. If you dig into it, it’s more apparent that we are more similar than different. That’s what I hope comes out of this revitalization . . .the more we know about ourselves, the more we can connect to others: as individuals, as a collective, as a community.”
Community is important to both Kenneth and Màiri.
“I’d love to be living in a situation where I feel Gaelic is my lifestyle . . . it is everywhere, all around me and we are living it deeply.”
She said this is a way to counter the negatives narratives Mike mentioned in the beginning.
“Welcoming people into this delicious language of a’ Ghàidhlig bhlasda bhinn. If we live that vibrantly and joyously we will have much more energy and passion and goes a long way in protecting ourselves against negativity. But also drawing people in and showing them what a great time we have.”
What are you inspired to do?
Themes and quotes from our small group conversations. Read more.
Continue to embed the language in my life through rituals, community celebrations, internalizing songs and stories, helping others connect to the language. Just keep loving and living it!
Learn and tell the old stories, the ancient ones.
Teaching, sharing, celebrating, rooting in to community, welcoming. Singing!!
To continue to share a perspective that there is space for a diversity of Gaelic identities and that there is place and space for all who identify with Gaelic language and cultural arts and expression
I want my grandchildren to be introduced to the Gaelic culture.
Write more poetry and songs
I am moved to gather in community with other Gaelic learners to use the language and have fun!
Advocate for other minority languages and peoples
Learn more songs and stories
Keep writing Gaelic poetry.
Stop thinking I'm not good enough and dive in and really enjoy the things that fill me
Enjoy everything it has to offer!
Learn the Eigg dialect from speakers in Cape Breton. Make the circle of knowledge whole again.
I feel very excited about investigating how music can move Gaelic language and cultural revitalization forward.
I enjoy helping others find ways to continue their journey with Gaelic.
Integrate the language with music and dancing - see how they all connect and try and find the roots of the language in the landscape
Keep learning and enjoying
Support initiatives and stay positive
To pass it on to my nephew. Also, to advocate for it.
Reflections and gratitude
Collectively, we are warriors.
My heart has been moved every week. What a wonderful offering. Tapadh leibh uile!!
We might need to honour the voices of the “nay-sayers” and invite them to the delicious Gaelic and Gaelic cultural table. Look at nourishment through Gaelic!
When our children understand our own culture, they become empathetic to other cultures and gain new perspectives. That's how they can make this world a better place to live.
Bha na seiseanan seo eireachdail uile gu lèir. Sessions were all beautiful Having a wee weep with gratitude for you all…!
This series has been enlightening and great fun.
Agus mealaibh ur naidheachd, a charaidean a chuir an sreath seo air doigh. Bha na seiseanan uile air leth math. (Congratulations friends who put this series together. The sessions were all excellent.)
Inspiring to meet other Gaels from over the globe who are learning the language.
Enjoyed these sessions every week.
An dochas gun teid agaibh air na coinneamhan seo a chumail a' dol! Chord gach aon dhiubh rium gu mor, mor. (I hope you can keep these sessions going. I enjoyed every one of them very much.)
Such a pleasure to meet so many people from all over the world sharing the same interest and passion.