麻豆社

Bha iomadh G脿idheal an s脿s ann am poilitigs Chanada. Bha sin f矛or gu听听听听听 h-脿raidh anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Dh鈥檉heuch fear aca ri G脿idhlig a dh猫anamh na c脿nan oifigeil.

Ann an ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890), chuir fear bile air adhart anns an t-Seanadh. B鈥� esan T貌mas MacAonghais. Rugadh e ann an Alba Nuadh. B鈥� e ainm a鈥� bhile 鈥�Act to provide for the use of Gaelic in Official proceedings鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thuirt MacAonghais gun robh na G脿idheil anns a鈥� phr矛omh 脿ite ann an Canada a thaobh 脿ireamh sluaigh. Ciamar a rinn e sin a-mach? Uill, bha e a鈥� cunntadh nan Albannach agus nan 脠ireannach c貌mhla.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha sluagh nan 脠ireannach is nan Albannach c貌mhla a鈥� tighinn gu cha mh貌r millean is seachd ceud m矛le (1,700,000) duine. Anns an d脿rna 脿ite bha na Frangaich le millean is tr矛 cheud m矛le (1,300,000). Bha na Sasannaich anns an treas 脿ite le naoi ceud m矛le (900,000). Bha na Gearmailtich anns a鈥� cheathramh 脿ite le d脿 cheud gu leth m矛le (250,000).

听听听听听听听听听听听 Goirid mus do nochd bile na G脿idhlig ann am P脿rlamaid Chanada, bha bile eile ann. Bha am bile sin ag amas air cur 脿s do ch貌raichean luchd-labhairt na Fraingis. Bhruidhinn am Pr矛omhaire, Sir Iain A D貌mhnallach, an aghaidh a鈥� bhile sin. Bha cuid de na G脿idheil a鈥� toirt taic do na Frangaich. Ach an tug iad taic don ch脿nan aca fh猫in?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thug gl猫 bheag. Thug d矛reach seachdnar anns an t-Seanadh an taic do bhile na G脿idhlig. Bha ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 na aghaidh. Ach thuirt MacAonghais gun robh deichnear anns an t-Seanadh aig an robh G脿idhlig na h-Alba. Bha ochdnar ann aig an robh G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann. Thuirt e cuideachd gun robh trithead 鈥檚 a dh脿 buill ann an Taigh nan Cumantan ann an Ottawa aig an robh G脿idhlig 鈥� Albannach no 脠ireannach.

鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh am bile ro anmoch. Bha G脿idhlig fallain ann an ochd ceud deug is caogad (1850). Ach ann an ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890), cha robh i cho fallain.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh i s矛os ann an Canada. Chaidh i s矛os ann an Alba. Ach cha deach i fodha ann an Canada no ann an Alba. A-nise tha Achd na G脿idhlig againn ann an Alba. Agus tha Ministear airson na G脿idhlig ann an Alba Nuadh. Tha 脿ite aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann am poilitigs a-nise. D猫 an teachdaireachd a tha sinn a鈥� faighinn 脿s a sin? Bithibh misneachail, a ch脿irdean!

Many Gaels were involved in the politics of Canada. That was especially true in the nineteenth century. One of them tried to make Gaelic an official language.

听听听听听听听 In eighteen ninety (1890), a man proposed a bill in the Senate. He was Thomas MacInnes. He was born in Nova Scotia. The name of the bill was an 鈥溾�淎ct to provide for the use of Gaelic in Official proceedings鈥�.

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听听听听听听听 MacInnes said that the Gaels were in first place in Canada in terms of population numbers. How did he work that out? Well, he was counting the Scots and the Irish together.

听听听听听听听 The population of the Irish and Scots together came to almost a million and seven hundred thousand (1,700,000). In the second place were the French with a million and three hundred thousand (1,300,000). The English were in third place with nine hundred thousand (900,000). The Germans were in fourth place with two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000).

听听听听听听听 Shortly before the Gaelic bill appeared in the Canadian Parliament, there was another bill. That bill was aiming to eliminate the [linguistic] rights of the French-speaking people. The Prime Minister, Sir John A MacDonald, spoke against that bill. Some of the Gaels were giving support to the French. But did they support their own language?

听听听听听听听 Very few did. Only seven people in the Senate supported the Gaelic bill. There were forty two against it. But MacInnes said that there were ten people in the Senate who spoke Scottish Gaelic. There were eight who spoke Irish Gaelic. He also said there were thirty two members in the House of Commons in Ottawa who spoke Gaelic 鈥� Scottish or Irish.

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听听听听听听听 Perhaps the bill was too late. Gaelic was healthy in eighteen fifty (1850). But in eighteen ninety (1890), she was not so healthy.

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听听听听听听听 She went down[hill] in Canada. She went downhill in Scotland. But she wasn鈥檛 submerged [ie didn鈥檛 die] in Canada or Scotland. Now we have the Gaelic Language Act in Scotland. And there is a Minister for Gaelic in Nova Scotia. Gaelic now has a place in politics. What is the message we get from that? Be confident, friends! [don鈥檛 lose your belief!]