Gaelic book

“ Dèanaibh fianais, Fàirichibh, Rachaibh an sàs ann, Thigibh
gu bhi...”
A’ bruidhinn anns a’ Bhaile Mhór, Alba Nuadh ’s a’ Chéitean
2011, thug an cànanaiche, a’ Bhan-Ollamh Leanne Hinton
iomradh air mar a théid aig daoine a bhi air an tarruing a
dhol an sàs ann an culturan aig a bheil cànanan beò. Thuirt
i, “ bidh roinn do dhaoine ’ga fhàireachdainn is iad a bhios
’ga fhaicinn fhad ’s a bhios e a’ tachairt’. Chum i oirre ag
ràdhainn, ‘’s urrainn dhuinn ciall a dhèanadh dheth, ach ’s
e gur ann a-mhàin nuair a bhios daoine a’ faireachdainn a’
cheangail gun rachadh am misneachadh gu ionnsachadh’.
’Gan dlùth-ghabhail dàimh agus ’gan sònrachadh fhéin thro
dhualchas beò Ghàidhealach gu bhi a’ tighinn gu buil gu
culturach. ’S e truacantas, fàireachdainn agus fiosrachadh
a cheangailicheas oghaichean Ghàidheal na h-Albann
Nuaidhe r’ an cultur agus is e a-réir coltais a mhisnicheas
feadhainn a bhi a’ dol an sàs anns a’ chruth-thìre inntinneil
is iad gu bhi mar phàirt dheth. Dèanaibh fianais, fàirichibh,
rachaibh an sàs, thigibh gu bhi – sin agaibh an rathad gu bhi
ag ath-cheangal ris an fhéin-aithne shoisio-chulturaich aig
neach.
’S e an dearg-fhìrinn gur e obair dhuilich a th’ann a bhi ri
ath-cheangal. Tha feum air adhbhar suidhichte, dealas
domhan, agus misneach air an t-slighe gus fileantas a
ruigheachd – gabhaidh e ùine. Tha na duaisean lìonmhoire
ged tà. Is thig tuigse do dh’fhéin aithne an uachdar.
“Witness, Feel, Engage, Become...”
Speaking in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in May 2011, linguist Dr Lee
Anne Hinton referred to how people are drawn to engage with
living language cultures. She said ‘lots of people feel it by seeing it
in action’ and went on to say, ‘we can intellectualize it, but it is only
when people feel the connection that they are motivated to learn’.
Embracing kinship and identifying through living Gaelic tradition
to become culturally complete. Empathy, feeling and experience
connects the grandchildren of Nova Scotia Gaels to their culture
and appears to motivate individuals to engage with the mental
landscape and become part of it. Witness, feel, engage, become – a
process of re-connecting with one’s socio-cultural identity.
The stark reality is that re-connecting is difficult work. Firm resolve,
deep commitment and courage are needed along the path to
fluency – it takes time. However, the rewards are rich. A sense of
identity begins to emerge.
‘... little by little, this is us, this is me. Once I have language I have self.
My identity is established, I know who I am ... I am drawn to be in a
live experience with a higher register of Gaelic ... social experience ...
working on traditional skills. Living culture, sharing your stories and
songs and having people who care about them listen.’
‘... eang air eang, ’s e seo sinne, ’s e seo mise. An uair a bhios
an cànan againn agam, tha mi fhìn ann. Théid m’ fhéin-aithne
a stéidheachadh, tha fhios’m có mi ... ’s e mo tharruing a bhi
ann an suidheachadh beò le ìre nas àirde do Ghàidhlig ...
suidheachadh sòisealta ... ag obair air sgilean traidiseanta.
Cultur beò, a’ compàirteachadh ur naidheachdan agus ur
n-òran agus le daoine ann aig an cùram orra, ag éisdeachd
riutha.
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