Research Associate to Specialize in Gaelic

The Nova Scotia Museum has appointed Jim Watson of Brook Village, Inverness Co., as a research associate in the field of Gaelic language and material culture.

During his two-year term, Mr. Watson will be conducting a survey of Gaelic words in Cape Breton that pertain to the material culture of dairy and cattle farming. In his study, he will record dialectal variations in words associated with agriculture and look at farming practices in districts of Cape Breton settled by Scottish Gaels early last century.

For 13 years, Mr. Watson has worked as Gaelic heritage interpreter at the Nova Scotia Highland Village in Iona. His work has included instructing staff in Gaelic language and culture and developing Cape Breton-based Gaelic programming for community schools and adult education courses.

Mr. Watson is Gaelic editor for Am Braighe newspaper. He is currently working on several projects, including a publication of stories and oral history from Cape Breton Gaelic tradition bearers and a Gaelic/English children's book based on Cape Breton tall tales. A monograph, An Taigh Tuaigh: Highland Housing at the Turn of the 19th Century, is to be published this year by Nova Scotia Highland Village. A companion publication, an English/Gaelic study of the log cabin and oral history of the pioneering Scottish Gaels, will be published in 2000. He also offers a range of Gaelic tutorial services and is developing online lessons in co-operation with Gaeltalk Communications and University College of Cape Breton.

Mr. Watson's other projects highlight his interest in cultural and community development and the preservation of Gaelic folklore, music and tradition in Nova Scotia. Some examples include representing Canada on cultural development issues at UNESCO's 1992 meeting in Seoul, presenting Cape Breton Gaelic folklore at the European Linguistic Atlas forum in Ireland in 1992 and performing as a traditional Gaelic singer and storyteller in Scotland in 1997.

Research associates at the Nova Scotia Museum are appointed by the board of governors to act as consultants, carry out specific research and publish new knowledge about Nova Scotia's social and natural history. Through their expertise, experience and commitment, research associates are a vital resource for the Nova Scotia Museum and help to educate all Nova Scotians about the province's rich heritage.