Minister Calls for Partners in Gaelic Revival

TOURISM/CULTURE ADV--Minister Calls for Partners in Gaelic Revival

Gaelic language and culture will survive in Nova Scotia only if the Gaelic community works together, Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald said Friday night.

"It depends on the Gaelic community, our partners here and beyond, working together as one voice, one Gaelic voice," he told a gathering in Mabou of about 50 people from the Gaelic community across Nova Scotia.

He said his department''s recent initiatives supporting Gaelic language and culture pave the way for a "Gaelic renaissance" in Nova Scotia.

He cited among these initiatives the inclusion last year of Highland Village in Iona as a new partner with the Nova Scotia Museum; the commissioning early this year of a study on the impact and state of the Gaelic language and culture in Nova Scotia; and his recent fact-finding mission to Scotland.

MacDonald said he believes strongly that Nova Scotians, like Gaelic speakers in Scotland, can revive the language and restore the culture. He challenged his audience to work together and participate as strategies are developed.

Such strategies, he said, could include ways to increase the number of Gaelic speakers, strengthen communities where Gaelic language and culture exist and further develop a Gaelic economy. He said it is estimated that Gaelic activities currently generate over $23.5 million annually in direct revenues.

Present were representatives of Gaelic organizations in Nova Scotia, Gaelic-speaking individuals, persons involved in Gaelic cultural industries such as publishing and music, and others, such as educators, interested in reviving Gaelic language and culture.

In the late 1800s, more than 100,000 Nova Scotians spoke Gaelic as their first language, Mr. MacDonald said. At that time, the language was nationally recognized in Canada. Now, only about 500 Gaelic speakers keep the language alive in Nova Scotia.

That, he said, is a statistic he is committed to change.