The English, after conquering Scotland militarily in a long series of wars,
including several historical events that have recently been made into
films, finally were able to gain control economically over the Highlands by
seducing some if not most of the Chiefs of the major Clans; including at
times Campbell, MacDonald, Mackenzie, and at least one chief of the Clan
MacLeod. This seduction was not always overt, but at times was the desire
of these Chiefs to become more modern, and establish themselves as
"landowners" and the fashion in the 1700's on was to grow sheep and plant
crops, rather than rely on traditional hunting and small husbandry.
These chiefs, forgetting their traditional responsibilities and duties,
essentially "sold" their own clansmen into economic slavery, they allowed
and in some cases actively assisted in the physical seizure of men, women
and children, and elders, forceably placed them on waiting sailing ships,
and these unfortunate people were then taken across the sea to Canada or
America, or even Australia, and either set loose without funds or sold
into "indenture" a form of two or three years of forced labor. This was as
recent as the late 1800's, and many of these events were reported in detail
in the London TIMES. English solders, and English Naval vessels were
used, and battles were fought between the "crofters", gaelic speaking Scots
descendants of many generations of various "clans" and British soldiers,
and local police. In the end, the locals never won, and many thousands were
taken away, never to return, and many died on passage. This story will be
familiar to many indigenous peoples, in America and elsewhere.
To keep these people from trying to hide out and return to their homes, the
soldiers and other agents of the landowners took down the roofs, including
the roof beams (wood was very scarce in the Highlnads and still is) and
burned them. Many of these roofless shells of houses were still to be seen
during my on-site research in 1974.
The dual nature of land rights anciently, in the Highlands and Hebridies
was complicated, for the "Lord of the Isles"for many centuries the actual
ruler of much of the Isles of Skye, Harris and Lewis, a title deriving in
part from Viking era kings both in Scandinavia and early Scotland, and the
titles held within the complex Clan system, which were in contant warfare
and flux as to actual territory often covered similar or overlapping land
areas. And as I said, the Chiefs, who "sold" land, or who had land
confiscated by the Crown (Kings or Queens of England) did not actually have
the title to the land, but held it in trust for their clans as a whole.
It may be reaching a bit far to attempt to claim these lands or compensation
as an "indigenous people" as the original culture and roots of the Celtic
people who became the Scots (and the Irish) were ancient, though some of
the customs still remain, and some of the language. I think it may be
important not to dilute the sincerity and respect needed for true
indigenous peoples world wide in their recent and strengthening effort at
self-determination, cultural integrity and other needed efforts to protect
and honor them as equal partners in the world along with other more
visible countries, nations and governments.
I did a paper on the Crofters' War and this issue, the only copy of which
was not returned to me during this early research, but shortly afterwards,
a major book was published using the same title and much the same line of
inquiry.
Christopher Sturges Gerlach
Founder of the Caledonia Society, Berkeley, 1974
Assisting the Institue for the Preservation of the Original Languages of
the Amricas, Santa Fe, NM
ipola@roadrunner.com