One hundred thousand welcomes
Province promoting roots-oriented Gaelic visiting program
The office of Gaelic Affairs is promoting a Gaelic visiting program that harkens back to the roots of the culture.
With an intention to bring Gaelic speakers together, especially elders who speak the language, Gaelic Affairs is offering the program, Cum Sios, as part of its Bun is Bàrr programming for 2018.
Cum sios, which means “keep down” is an expression that dates to when Gaels lived in thatched or black houses in Scotland.
Visitors were encouraged to keep down to a place around the fire. The expressions is still used by Nova Scotia Gaels in both Gaelic and English when guests are invited inside to sit and chat.
Bun is Bàrr, which means Root and Branch, began as a mentoring program in 2009 and provides Gaelic learners in Nova Scotia with the opportunity to work with mentors as they develop their language and cultural skills. Its goal is to help create fluent Gaelic speakers who are knowledgeable of Nova Scotia’s Gaelic tradition and motivated to learn, live, teach and share Gaelic Nova Scotia. Its main objectives are the continued transmission of Gaelic language through culture, re-integration of Gaelic expression, such as song and story, into the social life of Gaels and to restore collective Gaelic memory and identity.
In past Bun is Bàrr programs, apprentices worked one-onone or in small groups with one mentor.
This worked well to build relationships between the apprentice and mentor and to give the apprentice intensive periods of time with a mentor to develop their language and cultural skills.
This year, Cum Sios will involve greater flexibility and opportunity to Gaelic learners to engage with Gaelic elders in a social learning situation that is very familiar — the céilidh or house visit.
The program offers a variety of ways for learners to visit with the Gaelic elder. They can visit alone or with another Gaelic speaker. Participants can make as many visits as their schedule allows.
They can opt to visit regularly and build a relationship with one elder, as in previous programs, or visit with several elders. Participants can also apply to be in an advanced stream that includes visiting, recording, bridging and sharing.
Cum Sios begins in mid-April and will be completed by Dec. 31 and visitors will stay connected through a Bun is Bàrr social media platform.
All participants must attend an orientation session and must add to an electronic visiting log that is accessible to other participants and Gaelic Affairs.
Apprentices must fill in a form and submit it as an expression of interest in the program by March 30. For more information, contact Frances MacEachen at frances. maceachen@novascotia.ca or by phone at (902) 945-2114.