Hidden Life of Gaelic Women
Left to right: Peggy MacDonald with her mother Catherine; Anne MacDonald (Mar's mother) recognizable as only woman on the Glendale Festival poster (bottom right); five generations of Amber's family: Sadie Mae MacInnis (great-great grandmother) holding holding Sadie bheag (daughter), Amber Buchanan (mother); Annie Buchanan (great-grandmother) and Alison Buchanan (grandfather).
Boireannaich Ghasda
March 19, 2021
Host: Bernadette Campbell
Guests: Amber Buchanan, Nona MacDonald-Dyke & Mar (Marilyn) MacDonald-MacKinnon
Our second session of Air Chéilidh focused on the stories of Gaelic women who ensured families, farms, culture and communities thrived. Nona MacDonald-Dyke brought us back to the world of Peggy MacDonald on the North Shore, who was widowed young with five children. Marilyn MacKinnon remembered her mother Anne (Anna Dougal) MacDonald, a fiddler who passed on her love of music and dance to her children and Amber Buchanan spoke about her work to reclaim the tradition of her people from Cape Breton's North Shore.
What we heard
Nona spoke of the kindness, resourcefulness, hard work and talent Peggy had as a spinner, weaver and seamstress and how the Gaelic community worked together to support each other. Neighbours made sure she had wood and hay and would come to help shrink her woven cloth at the milling frolics in her house. When out-migration to the Boston States began, men and women came to Peggy to get her to make a beautiful suit, skirt or pants for the journey. "I am sure no matter how long they kept that suit, they would always think of Peggy. So the North Shore went with them for sure."
Marilyn MacDonald of Westmount remembered the gifts of her mother, Anne (Anna Dougal) MacDonald and her fierce love of music and company. Her parents loved music so much their first piece of furniture was a piano. For her mother, who played the fiddle, music was interwoven with the visiting culture and the hospitality and food that went with that, as well connections to Glendale Parish where her grew up and where the family performed for dances and concerts. Anne's generosity in creating a space where people could enjoy company and music is one of the strengths of the Gaelic women.
Amber spoke of the sense of slowness that the older Gaels she knew had. "This refusal to jump on the hamster wheel and run like a maniac that is so praised in our society today. So I am still trying to claim that one."
"Women, and those who identify as women, are often nourishers," said Amber. 'What I see is that women make time and space to value human beings over productivity, over efficiency. They value the people in the room with them."
Amber has claimed the gift of language and community that her elders like her great-grandmother Sadie (MacDonald) MacInnis held for her.
“It was like they were . . . feeding this little flame and they passed it on to me really beautifully," said Amber. "And I had to claim that. I had to step into it and do the work of reclaiming it. And doing the work of learning the language and learning the songs. And all those moments of, ‘Oh I can’t do this’ or “Could this really be mine?’ Eventually I came to a sense of enoughness. This is where I am supposed to be in my life. This is what I am supposed to be doing. So I think that’s a big thing. Many folks are searching for this in the world now.”
Pride, Inspiration, Strength
Themes and quotes from our small group conversations. Read more.
Enoughness: baskets of food, warmth, song; no judgement, just who you are.
The deep strength and resourcefulness of Gaelic women.
Pride in the history of Gaelic women.
Who supports women? — the women
Was something sparked in you?
“They made me proud to be a Gaelic woman.”
“I want to continue to reclaim the culture, and to continue the strong legacy of the women who came before me."
“They took me to hope, pain, poverty, oppression, celebration and praise.”
“Inspired me to continue to delve into my Gaelic past, learning, and reclaiming.”
“These women have tugged at my heartstrings and soul.”
“I am so appreciative of all of the wonderful, wonderful gaelic women in my life today”.
“Images of Peggy's spinning frolics put wind in my sails for more communal and mutually supported future.”
“We are part of a bigger web, feeding each other.“
“Conversations are healing at this time of pandemic and isolation.”
“Powerful Stories! I am motivated to engage more with our Gaelic community.”