Scots and Scottish Clans at Celebration '90

Never daunted, clans Ramsay, Donnaidaich, MacKay and Murray, with true Highland endurance, braved the excruciating cold on their shifts -- notwithstanding Saturday night, when the Campbells forsook the outdoors clan tents for proximity to stoves in the food tent! Clans Shaw, MacPherson and Matheson also manned shifts. As a compliment to the Scottish exhibit, the Amethyst Dancers performed their beautiful highland dance routines in the demonstration tent.

The Clan MacKay Society of New Scotland was the only clan to portray the Scottish heritage and culture at the annual Multicultural Festivals. MacKays continue to assist with the organization of inter-clan efforts, under inspiration of Past President, A. Wayne MacKay. Wayne's promotion of the Law Program for Indigenous Blacks and Micmacs at Dalhousie University, for which he also served as initial Director, is one example of his tireless efforts to ensure the rights and interests of ethnic groups.

The Micmacs, the Acadians and the Scots -- representative of the three oldest cultures in Nova Scotia -- were the first to greet visitors at the exhibit tent. The Micmacs taught the French and the Scottish how to cope with the hardships, and to find food and shelter, in the unbroken forest. Without those kind red-skinned friends, many of our ancestors could not have survived. Donald MacKay, in his book "Scotland Farewell" The People of the Hector," noted:

"From the Highlanders' arrival that first wild winter, the Micmacs had adopted them, fascinated by the bagpipes, kilt and tartan, and although communication between the two was long a problem when neither spoke English, the [Micmacs] taught the Scots the use of the canoe to avoid hard travelling through the pathless woods .... [they] brought gifts to the settlers and introduced the young Highlanders to their games, particularly wrestling."

The Micmacs showed James McCabe the best land on the Philadelphia Grant, and helped him stake out his farm. In "The History of the County of Pictou," Rev. George Patterson recorded that Lulan, a Micmac gentleman, risked his own life to save his grandfather, John Patterson, from drowning when he fell through the ice in Pictou harbour. For this, Lulan won the gratitude of all Scots in the district.

Nationalities who came to Nova Scotia later than the Scottish and Acadiens, including the Filipinos, Japanese, Polish, Ukrainian, Lebanese, Pakistan, German, Scandinavian, Caribbean and members of the Black Cultural Community, provided cultural displays and demonstrations, and tasty samples of their traditional foods.

Pekoe, a Giant Panda, was the mascot of Celebration '90. She moved among the visitors and participants, welcoming all, and symbolized the spirit of multiculturalism:

"Pandas are recognized internationally as a symbol of good will, warmth and the need for cooperation. The panda is a rare and fragile creature with a complex heritage of its own; should we wish to continue to enjoy the panda, we must take care of this planet in which we both live .... in order for a diversity of cultures to thrive together, we must take care to nurture, sustain and respect each other .... The qualities which endear the panda to us, such as gentleness, being unique and living harmoniously as a group and with nature, are those which we should endeavour to appreciate in one another. Moreover, the Giant Panda symbolically provides us with ways of relating our past, our present and our future; seemingly diverse groups of people, plants and animals; and reminds us of how fragile this diversity can be. We must learn to care about our environment, both `natural' and `cultural'." [From "Sharenews," 1990 Festival Edition, The Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia. Vol. 15, Issue 2]

At Celebration '90, the gracious Panda meant business. Justifiably alarmed at the expertise in global warming demonstrated Sunday by the Campbells, she reprimanded them with unbearable hot and muggy weather for the final shift, which was their time on duty!

Diverse nationalities make up the total fabric of Canada. Being Canadian with the national Maple Leaf tartan, is our common meeting ground. In like spirit, the Nova Scotia tartan formed a background for the many clans in the FSCNS tent. The fierce pride and loyalty for one's own clan and tartan has its common meeting ground. We are =all= Nova Scotians!

Copyright (C) 1990: Janet MacKay
Published in: "The MacKay Times of New Scotland" 1990

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