Chaidh barrachd Ghàidheal chun nan sgìrean a tha a-nis mar phàirt de Canada na gu sgìrean sam bith eile air an t-saoghal agus air sàilibh sin, chan eil e na iongnadh gu bheil na ceanglaichean eadar Gàidhealtachd na h-Alba agus Canada làidir. An toiseach san òraid seo, bheirear sùil air mar a tha Canada, agus gu sònraichte dualchas Gàidhlig Chanada, air a tuigsinn, air a samhlachadh, agus air a cleachdadh le Gàidheil Alba—agus Albannaich eile—gus measgachadh annasach de fhìrinneachdan, faoin-sgeulan agus cothroman caillte a thoirt am follais. Sa leth-cheud bliadhna mu dheireadh, thog Canada ùr a ceann mar dhùthaich a tha ùr-nòsach, dà-chànanach, agus ioma-chultarach, gus a bhith na deuchainn-lann airson poileasaidh a thaobh cànain agus cultair, cho math ri bhith na ceàrdaich airson teòiridh phoileataigeach ceangailte ri riaghladh iomadachd. San darna leth dhen òraid seo, beachdaichear air na tha na leasachaidhean poileasaidh agus teòiridh seo a’ ciallachadh airson nan cànanan Ceilteach, agus a’ bhuaidh leantainneach a tha iad a’ toirt orra—an dà chuid ann an Canada agus san Roinn Eòrpa, agus gu h-àraid ann an Alba, Èirinn agus sa Chuimrigh.
Lecture abstract
Territories that are now part of Canada received more Gaelic-speaking emigrants than any other in the world and, unsurprisingly, the links between the Scottish Highlands and Canada are profound. This lecture will first examine how Canada, and in particular Canada’s Gaelic heritage, is perceived, imagined and deployed by Scottish Gaels—and other Scots—revealing a curious mix of truths, half-truths and missed opportunities. In the last half century a modern, bilingual, and multicultural Canada has emerged, making it a hotbed of experimentation in terms of policy concerning language and culture, as well as political theorising about the management of diversity. In the second part of this lecture, both the implications of these developments for and the ongoing impact of them on the Celtic languages—both in Canada and in Europe, and especially in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, will be considered.
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