This story might not seem as powerful coming from Ireland as a Dané story from western United States, a Maori story. or an Inuit story which are all very inspiring to me. But here goes. I am an ordinary man raised in Ireland, in the north, during what is known throughout the world as 'the troubles'. I grew-up with a strong sense of self and place. I was Irish, but to be honest I never knew what that really meant, except it was the place in which I was born. Growing up my father and my grandmother on my mothers side had a strong positive influence on my sense of self and identity. They sowed seeds in my mind and spirit, whether by accident or design I do not know. I now know, as a parent myself, that sowing seeds of knowledge, memories and feelings are so important.
Growing up I had a passion for wild things, animals, plants and places, I was in awe of the diversity of the natural world. I became a biologist and traveled enough outside of the Anglo or English language dominated world to see other cultures, peoples and ways of knowing.
As much as I was struck about the diversity of animals and plants I was also struck greatly by the diversity of humanity with which I met. This really awakened something in me with regard my own positive identity. I started to read and learn about Ireland and our Gaelic ancestors, our culture and how it was changed by being systematically crushed, first by English and then by our anglicized selves. I learned that most Gaelic names , both first names and surnames have been corrupted as part of a colonial past that valued little of anything that was not of the colonizing culture . I learned how conquest destroyed Gaelic ways to the point that people of Gaelic descent, for the most part, have little knowledge and thus little value in the ways of our ancestors. They do not see any value and the knowledge I believe can still pass down to us. We are reduced to the western model of identity which is based solely on a national identity i.e. I am Irish because I live in a place which (in English) is called Ireland. For me this form of narrow identity ignores everything except what is expedient at the time, it also reduced us to shadows of what could be.
To discuss identity in the ways that the posts from the Dané, Maori and Inuit people have discussed, in this country, would be seen by many as crazy, after-all we are European not indigenous people?. Well I don't agree, our history our language, our traditional ways all say something else. We are modern people, that is we are alive now, but I believe that if we do not make links from our past to our future then we lose our birthright!
Thanks for this opportunity to learn from other people and to gain support from each other.
Neart an Aontais. / There is strength in unity.
Thank you for this intriguing post. I'm curious about what you mean by 'birthright'? What do we uniquely reclaim from the past history of those cultures from which we ethnically originate? I ask not because I don't on some level think I agree, but because I've seen how ridiculous many Irish people feel that Americans turning up in Ireland and looking for 'their' people are, and also because I worry about people being excluded from new healing opportunities on the basis of their not being a certain race or culture. What is our 'birthright' as people born and bred in North America (regardless of our ethnic origins)?
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who gave his children their original Gaelic surname. he still uses his Anglicized or corrupted surname. He said to me "that is it, this great wrong ends with me, I have put it right for the next generation". He also sent them to a Gaelscoil or Irish immersion school to learn their own language. I think what he has done is nothing short of brilliant. I hope more follow him.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what the the Irish contributor meant exactly by birthright, we have contacted him. However for many indigenous people or people of cultures that have been oppressed, your birthright is simply the right to use the language, names and follow the ways of your your people. People in the large cultures have not been stopped from practicing their ways, being themselves using their language, practicing their own faith and/or traditions. I think this is a personal journey for everyone and everyone sees it with their own eyes. This blog is not about a narrowing peoples ethnic view, it is about celebrating our diversity. We seek to support each other to be Dané, Inuit, Gaelic, Maori and so on. Each is special, each is valued. The loss of one culture weakens us all. Yours respectfully
ReplyDeleteI am the man who submitted the story above. I am very heartened by the comments. For me my birthright is connecting with those people who went before me. We learn nothing of our real history anymore, we learn about English wars, treaties, we speak English language, watch English and Anglo American TV, read English news and get an Anglo-American world view. That is fine, but I feel I have another view to relearn, one that guided my ancestors here for thousands of years. We have been severed from our roots and forcibly re-grafted onto another. As an ecologist I am all for diversity. It is my birthright the whales swim the oceans, that tigers roam free in forests. It is also my birthright that human cultural ecology is protected and it starts at home.
ReplyDeleteNeat article. I strongly believe in the family, our ancestors and our descendents - even if I should never know them. I named all three of my children after relatives who are long gone - I find it wonderful to know where and why one is named the way they are, which is to honor a relative who is no longer there and who we still cherish and remember. Life is greater when you know and understand where you came from, no matter who and where from :)
ReplyDeleteBut the English themselves were once invaded by the Normans, and before that by the Anglo-Saxons and the Romans. Christians came to convert rulers and change the face of Celtic Britain forever. England itself is only a part of Britain and it was Britain that colonized America, etc. Within Britain broadly,the serfs and then the working class suffered under 'British rule', and watched their agricultural and village cultures (once derived from tribes) perish in the Industrial Revolution and again under Margaret Thatcher (speaking again in broad strokes). England today is a mixture of peoples formed by British, Europeans, and significant populations of people from former British colonies, all working in earnest to create a nation and a sense of belonging, regardless of where their parents or grand parents were born.
ReplyDeleteWhile I would never deny that the effects of colonialism are loathsome, I think that relegation of 'English' culture to be a label for an oppressive, 'de-culturizing' force is too simplistic and denies the experiences of many, including English people themselves, throughout history. I would like to respectfully argue with the author: different races and ethnicities are not as separate as whales and tigers and 'human ecology' has always been in flux (see for example the history of invasions of different parts of Ireland). While it can be important to know from whence we came in one lifetime, or over the lives of many ancestors, what is crucial is how we can be creative about who we are now, particularly our access and innovation in the realm of healing for all people and our planet. I thank you for your post (I wrote the first response too) because I do see knowing who we are as an important first step, it's just important to me to be a voice encouraging us to another step, and another.
You are right in so many ways although I do not see everything as you. I do agree that all peoples are capable of terrible deeds on others. That does not make it right! and does not make any cultural loos any more acceptable now matter who caused it.
ReplyDeleteI was not arguing that people are tigers or whales, the point I was trying to make is that diversity is important. Say if we went down to the level of a tiny insect or microbe. I believe in ecological terms they are as important as a whale...they may not have the cool factor but integrally they are important.
Also, we could argue that the tiger is a failure ecologically and should be allowed to die out because it can't survive in the wild in the modern world without protection by us from us. But would that be right???
In my way of thinking I see minority cultures in the same way. Take the Adamanese people, probably one of the oldest unique people and cultures on the planet. Yet within last several decades this at least 60,000 year old civilization with its unique languages, culture, ways of knowing, bonds and spirituality is being cast aside.
I agree that the future is about being together, working together as a global community..but I think homogeneity looms ahead and that prospect diminishes us all. Things are not equal, indigenous peoples have had to hide in so many subtle ways, even hiding their names...I think you will agree that your name is something of personal importance, image being forced to use the name given to you be someone who took everything from you...That is the way of so many minority cultures and indigenous peoples. Thanks for the conversations.
Thank you! I appreciate your views! (previous poster)
ReplyDeletehey I agree with your comment about you being and indigenous person because you were a first nation people of your territories. That natural status does not belong to the exclusive domain of non-European peoples. I think that this is another of those "colonialized" revaluations that all colonialized cultures have had to cope with of the many centuries, you Irish included.....cheers from Aotearoa NZ (New Zealand)
ReplyDeleteReconciling ourselves back to whence we have come will empower the journey forward! There is no wrong way. The individual way on behalf of the tribe is powerful! It can be painfully passionate, so I tread lightly!
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