AM FUARAN

An Ochdamh Iris – The Eighth Issue www.gaelic.ca April 2011 – An Giblean 2011

Comhairle na Gàidhlig is a non-profit society dedicated to the maintenance and promotion of the Gaelic language and culture in Nova Scotia: the only region outside Scotland where they remain everyday aspects of community life. Our audience extends to anyone with an interest in Gaelic language maintenance

and the worldwide community of minority language supporters.

AM FUARAN : The Spring ~ refreshing and renewing

Gnìomhachdas na Comhairle - Our Activities

AR CUAIRT-LITIR: OUR NEWSLETTER Comhairle na Gàidhlig is committed to representing the individuals, organizations and institutions of which the

Gaelic community of Nova Scotia is composed. That means being accessible to our membership and keeping people informed of our work. We see this newsletter as an important part of that commitment and hope you enjoy it.

Cuairt-litir Comhairle na Gàidhlig – The Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia Newsletter

Comhairle na Gàidhlig AGM May 28 1:30 PM, Port Hawkesbury Fire Hall

Comhairle membership has just about reached 100 individuals and groups and we hope to surpass this at the Annual General Meeting this year. We are pleased that we have seen our numbers nearly double in the last two years, and we want to keep building them to reflect the true level of support for Gaelic in Nova Scotia. The AGM is the one time a year when our members have the opportunity to all join together, assess our work, ask questions, and give feedback. We hope to see you all there!

An Là Mór Comhairle is excited to announce Linden Macintyre as the guest speaker at our dinner to be hosted on May 28 - An Là Mór - The Big Day for the Gaelic community. We are very pleased also to have Mary Jane Lamond with us to preside as Master of Ceremonies over our evening activities and Céilidh.

The day is meant to provide a time for anyone involved and interested in Gaelic to come and enjoy the sharing of the culture, language and ideas to grow this rich aspect of Nova Scotia (cont’d Pg 3).

Activity-based household exercises reinforces home learning, with the added benefits of enjoying the buttermilk biscuits!

This winter, Comhairle na Gàidhlig talked with instructors across the province to find a group of learners at a fairly uniform intermediate language level, and hosted a weeklong residential immersion workshop for that group in February.

Thirteen people attended the Monday to Friday session, some staying nearby, or on-site in the home of Nona MacDermid, Sydney Mines, where the workshop was hosted. Comhairle na Gaidhlig received support from the Office of Gaelic Affairs’ Gaelic ‘Language in the Community Program’, and with such strong enrollment, the OGA also provided a second instructor. Using the approach of staying on-site from breakfast to late evening was popular with students and instructors alike, as was working in two groups and trading off instructors through

Jeff MacDonald & Carmen MacArthur provide a combination of teaching styles & skills which workshop students found to be very effective in the relaxed home setting.

CnG hosts Week-long Gaelic Immersion Workshop

the day. Outings, baking and household chores were all part of the day schedule, while evenings offered movies (in Gaelic of course), Céilidhs and enjoying a fiddle session at a local bar.

With just a few bugs to work out, the week provided a good model for future work. Students remarked on the comfortable learning environ- ment that was created, and called for more of the same in the future. Comhairle hopes to undertake another of these weeks within the year.

The opportunity to socialize in Gaelic among the student was an important part of the week: Kim Ells and Anne MacDermid chat.

LITIR BHO’N CHEANNSUIDHE

A chàirdean ionmhainn,

Bho chionn ghoirid, thachair Gàidheal, aig an robh

a’ Ghàidhlig bho’n ghlùin, air neach eile na sgìre aig an robh a’ chànain, ann a’ Co-op Hogoma. Bha na mnathan seo eòlach air a chéile agus gach tè fiosrach gu robh a’ Ghàidhlig aig an t’éile. Dh’aithnich iad a chéile seach gu bheil buill clasaichean na Gàidhlig bhon a’ Chladach a Tuath, Badaig, agus Hogoma air a bhith a’ tadhal air ais ’s air adhart bho chionn grunn de sheachdainean. Mas do thòisich na céilidhean sin eadar na coimhearsnachdan, cha bhiodh na mnathan air a chéile ’aithneachadh neo fiosrach air a’ cheangal a bh’aca troimh mheadhon na cànain.

A bheil dòigh nas fheàrr ann eòlas a mheudachadh air coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig na bhith a’ tighinn le chéile anns na clasaichean againn? Bheir luchd-tadhail bho sgìre eile brosnachadh do chlas sam bith; agus nuair a chluinneas duine blas-cainnte, faclan is abairtean eadardhealaichte, bheir seo dha cothrom a’ chainnt aige fhéin a leasachadh. Cuideachd bheir buaidh tidseir ùir cothrom dhuinn ar cuid cànain a leudachadh.

Leis a bhith a’ tadhal air clasaichean a chéile, tha luchd-ionnsachaidh bhon Chladach a Tuath, bho Bhadaig agus Hogoma air barrachd eòlais ’fhaighinn air feadhainn a tha nan luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig bhon ghlùin; aig an aon àm, tha seo a’ dèanaibh comasach do bharrachd àireamhan dhiùbhsan a bhith an làthair aig gach clas. Nuair a chluinneas an luchd-ionnsachaidh na fileantaich a’ bruidhinn ri chéile, ’s urrainn dhaibh cleachdaidhean làitheil na cànain a thogail.

Mar a theireas an abairt: tha cumhachd ann an àireamhan. Nuair a bhios sinn a’ coinneachadh ’s a’ cur seachad ùine le luchd-ionnsachaidh eile agus le fileantaich, bheir sin dhuinn comas a bharrachd. Nuair a bheir sinn taic do chlasaichean a chéile, do thachartais shòisealta, do luchd-togail-airgid, bidh sinn a’ cur ri fàs na cànain agus na coimhearsnachd air fad.

Jessica Nic Ghill’ Fhinnein

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends,

Recently a native speaker from the Baddeck area met up with a local speaker while in the Whycocomagh Co-op. These ladies knew each other and were aware that they shared the language. They were acquainted because members of the Gaelic classes from the North Shore, Baddeck and Whycocomagh have been visiting back and forth for the past several weeks. Prior to the visits between communities, these ladies would not have known each other or been aware that they shared the language.

What better way to enhance our learning and increase our knowledge of the Gaelic community than by coming together in our classes? Having visitors from another area gives a special spark to a class, and hearing different accents, vocabulary and expressions develops our language skills. Exposure to a new teacher and his/her methodology also works to expand our language experience.

Visiting has allowed the students in the North Shore, Baddeck and Whycocomagh classes to become acquainted with more native speakers and enables a larger number of native speakers to attend each class. The native speakers have the added advantage of being able to converse with each other, and the learners are able to listen to the everyday use of the language.

As the saying goes: there is strength in numbers. Meeting and spending time with other learners and native speakers is empowering to us. When we support each others’ classes, social events, and fund raisers we are contributing to the overall growth of the language and the community.

Jessica MacLennan

An outing that the Whycocomagh and district class made to the Whycocomagh Co-op. Native Gaelic speaker Margaret MacLennan discusses Gaelic names for produce with Audrey Fraser, Jessica MacLennan and Carrie MacMillan.

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Calling all Gaelic product! An Là Mór will feature a Trade Show for Gaelic services

and products. Are you interested in presenting you wares? Contact us.

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An Là Mór (cont’d from page 1) An Là Mór day activities will be free and open to all. We will be offering family-friendly activities, our Annual General Meeting, as well as discussions of importance to people who want to see Gaelic grow in their communities. These will take place in daytime workshops and promise to bring out a great mix of ideas, and we hope for attendance from every community busy with Gaelic across the province. Please see details on times and location on this page. The traditional evening dinner will offer marag and/or roast beef, followed directly by MacIntyre’s talk. Meal tickets are to be booked by May 22 by Email or phone. The evening will be a mix of performance and casual céilidh, so everyone is welcome to bring a Gaelic song or story, and their dancing shoes.

Workshops We sincerely hope that everyone with an interest in Gaelic in our communities comes to An Là Mór workshops. Whether or not you think that you have ‘big ideas’ to bring, we hope that you’ll go home with some thoughts and ideas about what can help grow Gaelic in your community. Pre-registration is not required, but if you plan to attend, we’d be pleased if you’d let us know, so we will have an idea of numbers.

Morning workshop: Making connections in your community. How can resources, space and personpower be pooled in your region to take Gaelic to the next level?

Afternoon workshop: Product Development. What sectors and sorts of Gaelic initiatives could realistically support jobs and economic opportunities, at the same time as growing Gaelic?

Afternoon activity: Family-friendly activities that teach Gaelic in fun and active ways.

Trade Show: Comhairle na Gàidhlig invites Nova Scotian businesses that provide services and products to the Gaelic community to show off their wares.

FREE ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE DAY

10:00 Tea 10:30 Morning Workshop:

• Making connections in your community 12:30 Lunch 1:30 Comhairle Annual General Meeting 2:45 Tea 3:15 Afternoon workshops:

• Product Development • Fun and active Gaelic family activities

5:00 Gaelic social: Kids presentations

DINNER & CÉILIDH Master of Ceremonies: Mary Jane Lamond

Tickets to be booked by May 22 - $20

6:00 Maragan / Roast Beef Dinner 7:00 Guest speaker Linden MacIntyre 7:30 Céilidh: Gaelic Songs & Stories

Square Sets

St.FX Extension worker, Pauline MacIntosh will be back with us this year to lead the morning workshop, and Mary Jane Morrison, Director of the Cape Breton Univ. Small Business Development Centre will host the afternoon workshop.

NS OGA produced another great Gaelic calendar this year. Comhairle used the calendars as a fund-raiser, splitting profits with community groups across the province.

The Gaelic community is spread wide and includes those with close ties through their families and through their interests. Before the recent disasters in Japan, Comhairle na Gàidhlig was contacted from Japan for a request for a Gaelic Calendar as a ‘reminder of home’. Recent contact has confirmed that Matthew Klaus and his family are doing fine. Matthew shared his thoughts on Gaelic:

“My connection to Gaelic is as old as the story of Canada itself. Like most of us, my ancestors immigrated from other countries to settle in Canada. My great-grandmother was a monolingual Gaelic speaker, and that branch of the family eventually settled in Alberta. Presently I am working on my Master's in TESOL and Applied Linguistics through Columbia University's Japan campus. A few years ago I had the pleasure of taking a bilingual education course which

touched on several themes concerned with language teaching. One of those themes was centred on heritage language learning. At the time I was required to give a presentation on a topic central to the course's theme. It was from then I began to dig into my own family's language history and I discovered your organization. I work as an English teacher in Japan. My profession's purpose is to instill bilingualism into our students. (Far easier said than done). As a linguist, I want and hope to see the promotion of heritage language learning in all aspects of our common societies. For me, that is Gaelic, and German. For my daughter, it is also Gaelic, but also German, English, and Japanese. As well, there remain tremendous cognitive and cultural benefits for those who become multilingual, even to a small degree.”

- Matthew Klaus

Municipal presentations

The Comhairle coordinator has been on the road during February, March and April, making contact with municipalities around the province. Comhairle na Gàidhig has concentrated most on Gaelic-settled areas, and has been well-received again this year. Those municipal councillors that are familiar with the history and role of Gaelic (often through their own family stories) welcome a chance for their colleagues to hear more about the contribution of Gaelic to the province. There are many more for whom this information opens up an aspect of Nova Scotia life that they were not aware of at all. The presentations this year have focused on the key opportunities that we see in Gaelic, and the projects that we are undertaking this year, with a request for financial support. Response has been promising to date, but budgets – as always, will need to be consulted.

Gaelic Awareness Month Launch April 27th

The Office of Gaelic Affairs will host an Open House at Province House in Halifax on April 27 to launch Gaelic Awareness Month. The launch includes plans for Minister Maureen MacDonald and Lewis MacKinnon of the NS OGA, as well as a representative of Comhairle na Gàidhlig, to address the lunch-time gathering. Designated in 1996 as Gaelic Awareness Month in Nova Scotia, this May will mark the fifteenth year of its celebration. Both offices have been working over the last year to develop literature to support Gaelic development, and some of these materials will be introduced to the public at the launch. The Gaelic Roadsign brochure, a joint project to introduce people and direct them to the website recordings of place name pronunciations will be on display, as well as the Blasad na Gàidhlig CD, Meudachadh na Gàidhlig (Growing Gaelic) 2011, and this Comhairle newsletter.

Comhairle na Gàidhlig Board of Directors (2010 - 2011)

Jessica MacLennan, Blues Mills (President) Tim Aggett, Dartmouth (Vice-President) Bev Brett, North River (Treasurer) Ashley MacKay, Antigonish (Secretary) Francie Gillis, Grand Mira

Debbi MacDonald Sobey, Stellarton Beth Anne MacEachen, Dartmouth Ishbel Munro, New Glasgow Wendy McInnis, Trenton Barbara Sutherland-Foote, Westmount

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2011 Gaelic calendar in Machida City, Tokyo, Japan

Moran Taing

We want to thank everyone that makes a contribution to Gaelic in deed or in dollar. We send a special thank you in this issue to both Jessica MacLennan and the students of the Citadel High School Gaelic Society for their donations in memory of Neil MacLean, a long time supporter of Gaelic. We are also grateful for substantial donations in the past from John MacNeil, and more recently, Comunn Gàidhlig Cheap Breatuinn.

Collaborative workshops

The workshops hosted at An Là Mór will be a base on which we’ll keep building. We’ve applied for funding to the Rural Secretariat of Canada to support the cost of coordinating and hosting a series of ‘Collaborative workshops’. More information on this will be presented at the AGM on this work, but as an outline, we want to gather up people and organizations to serve as a ‘think tank’ on ways to support and grow Gaelic while getting a few jobs off the ground.

The focus is looking at ways of bringing together the resources that are in each area of the province and pool them to support some promising ideas. We want people from schools, communities, Gaelic institutions, government, learners and others who are just interested in local business development. With the widest range of people at the table, we’ll have the most information – so that means that YOU would have something valuable to offer to this work. If you would be interested in going to a total of four workshops over two years to discuss this and support some planning work, please contact us.

Next Steps for Comhairle na Gàidhlig

In November 2008, the Board of Directors of Comhairle na Gàidhlig set out a list of objectives for the period ahead. Based on their own experience as community workers and learners, a solid set of activities were identified. We are working our way through that list, and carrying on some of the work as on-going work activities. We believe that we should start now to map out the next few years of work in order to begin lining up the resources that we’ll need down the road.

One thing that we can count on in the Gaelic world is change. The conditions have changed so much for the better over the last decade, that we know that new input and ideas from the community will certainly help improve the plan that we come up with. Nova Scotia Economic Development, and the Office of Gaelic Affairs have assisted us with money to help coordinate this planning project.

We look forward to meeting and talking with community groups to find out what they would like to see developed to support their work, but we will also be talking to municipal and provincial government offices to get their perspective on things. With this, we’ll consider what kind of work we can take on, taking into account our resources and our mandate. And over the following year we’ll develop a plan and have it reviewed through the community. We look forward to meeting with you all!

The November 2010 Rural Policy Forum in

Tatamagouche was a gathering of the Nova Scotia voluntary sector and non-profits.

Comhairle na Gàidhlig’s Board Member, Ishbel Munro coordinated the event, and made a special effort to bring the Gaelic community to the discussion. Munro says “Coastal Communities Network (now Rural & Coastal Communities network) wanted to reflect the diversity of rural Nova Scotia … including farming, fishing, and the arts, along with First Nations, African Nova Scotian, Acadian, Gaelic and more recent immigrants. It was the first time RCCN had reached out to the Gaelic community as a specific target and the organizers were delighted with the strong Gaelic representation. It definitely added to the richness of the event.”

It was a three-day event with a range of activities and subjects. One of the highlights was a presentation from Peter Kenyan, an energetic Community Economic Development worker from Bank of Ideas in Australia who

gave many practical suggestions. One critical warning that rang true with the gathering was that community initiative will “ignore the youth at our own risk”. Another presentation was from Rick Williams of the Policies and Priorities Office of the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development. He delivered a hard-hitting portrayal of the province’s finances which only strengthened the resolve of the gathering to continue their work to support the aspects of rural Nova Scotia toward which they dedicate their time and energies.

At least ten community and government Gaelic learners and workers attended the event, which offered an opportunity for our representatives to get to know the work of other sectors and to introduce other sectors to our work. It was gratifying to see Gaelic well represented, and spoken on many occasions throughout the day in a new domain. The final evening was a cultural showcase at which Betty Lord and Hector MacNeil presented well delivered and received songs and stories to the group.

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Rural Policy Forum

Mìos na Gàidhlig – Gaelic Awareness Month events

April 27 – Gaelic Awareness Month Launch, Province House, Hfx, 12 - 1 pm

April 30 - May 2 - Immersion weekend,

10 am - 4 pm, 174 Archimedes, New Glasgow

May 2 - Presentation by Margie Beaton “Obair nam Ban” (Women’s work), 7 - 8 pm, An Drochaid Museum, Mabou

May 7 - Gaelic Learning Social Weekend, 10 am - 3 pm (registration at 9:30 am), Highland Village, Iona. http://museum.gov.ns.ca for more info.

May 7 - An Introduction to Gaelic, 3:30 - 5 pm at the McConnell Public Library, Sydney.

May 9 - Presentation by Effie Rankin “An Cluinn thu Leannainn: Selections from Angus Rankin’s 1950s Recordings from Mabou and Boston”, 7 - 8 pm, An Drochaid Museum, Mabou.

May 14 - Feis at the Citadel, Halifax

May 14 - Gaelic Tour of Two Rivers Wildlife Park at 2 pm, Two Rivers Wildlife Park, Sandfield Rd., Marion Bridge.

May 15-17 - Aite nan Gaidheal Beginner Level Immersion Sessions, 10 am - 4 pm, 174 Archimedes St., New Glasgow

May 16 - Presentation by Ronald and Kenneth MacKenzie “Orain is Céol à Ubhist” (Music and Songs from Uist), 7 - 8 pm, An Drochaid Museum, Mabou.

May 18 - A Gaelic Heritage Evening, 7 - 8:30 pm, St. Andrew’s Community Centre, Antigonish.

May 21 - Musician’s Workshop, 10 am - 4 pm, Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, Judique. www.celticmusicinterpretivecentre.com

May 22 - Gaelic Ecumenical Service, 3 pm, Ephraim Scott Presbyterian Church, South Haven Cape Breton.

May 28 – ‘An La Mór’ hosted by Comhairle na Gàidhlig, free day program starts at 10 am at the Port Hawkesbury Fire Hall

Mu Ar Déidhinn Comhairle na Gàidhlig - About Comhairle na Gàidhlig OUR VISION Comhairle na Gàidhlig – The Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia is to be a unified, dynamic leader

within strong and vibrant communities where Gaelic language and culture thrive.

OUR MISSION The mission of Comhairle na Gàidhlig is to lead in creating an environment that makes Nova Scotia a place where Gaelic language, culture and communities thrive.

TAPADH LEIBH ~ THANK YOU

For the continued support of your Membership!

We thank you, whether a new or long-time member, for showing your support for our work. With a strong membership, Comhairle na Gàidhlig has a sound foundation to support the growth of Gaelic Nova Scotia.

We welcome comment, in-kind donation and participation. Membership: $10.00 per individual, $20.00 per family, community organizations: free group memberships.

Renew your membership with Comhairle na Gàidhlig by downloading the form at www.gaelic.ca, or by returning this form to:

Comhairle na Gàidhlig RR 2 Inverness, NS B0E 1N0

Or call (902) 258-5768

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Governance Committee Policy Development Committee Gaelic Cultural Expression Committee Fund-raising Committee

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