Hi Donna,
You have hit the mark with your post. There is a large degree of
intergenerational trauma among the Scots , and this fuels a lot of
geneological research, an attempt to make ones past noble is some way,
or a search to transcend the utter abandonment of Scottish tradition which
resulted from the shame that many of our ancestors felt at being landless,
and poor. My grand parents were from New Brunswick, and were indeed ashamed
of both their Irish and Scottish heritage, because their people generally
aspired to partake of Britified culture which was so powerful because of
the loyalists who settled there after the American revolution in 1776.
Over my two score and ten years I have met many Scots who suffer from
melancholy, depression and
alchoholism , which may be ascribed to the manner in which they were reared
by their parents. Scots can be very harsh with their children, and the
patterns of suffering which originated with the Clearances
and migration to America continue, like traumatic intergenerational echos.
Young women often left home early seeking the affection of a lover at an
immature age. Young men turned to the bottle and resisted a family life,
much as we see among black males in America, who father children by several
women, and rarely stay in school long enough to be able to seek good
employment. Scottish immigrants have come through that process and now take
their places freely in the higher economic echelons of American Society.
There still lingers a high degree of melancholy, of not accepting
themselves as basically good people. They are very hard on themselves and
their families.
It is in that vein that I posted about the Highland Clearances and the
mention of a Parliamentary apology.
Karma, or the cycle of the behaviour of suffering and deeply rooted
insecurity, is transmitted intergenerationally. Only recently have the
Irish been able to face the trauma of the potato famine, and how both the
mother church and Great Britain let their people die in droves without
sending any ships full of meal to stem the starvation. They felt themselves
worth less than dogs.
It stirred me deeply to read that the Scottish Parliament was suggesting an
apology for the Clearances as the inheritors of the governmental
responsibility which led to them. I thought the apology should be genuinely
made, since the British Parliament will never make it, and that it should
be accompanied by a repatriation policy which should be more than a mere
marketing ploy to attract tourist dollars to Scotland.
The affluence of modern American Scots was achieved with little help, and
often hindrance , from Britified Scots, who had forgotten the Highland
tradition of gentility and kindness, so exemplified by the likes of Rob Roy
MacGregor, who had been forced by the same culture to live on little more
than his honor and Highland wit for most of his life. It is only of late
that the attractiveness of American Scots has grown in Scotland, not
because of who they are in connection to Scottish history, but merely for
their disposable income. All of us would be remiss in not commenting on
such an intended exploitation of the hope that American Scots hold for
Scotland. Therefore such an apology should be accompanied by a very real
policy in relation to the descendants of ex-patriot Scots. Perhaps one day
Scotland can become another Israel, a rejuvenated homeland with a
rejuvenated language. It would seem that few Scots hold such vision openly,
as does Sean Connery, who puts no limits on Scottish Nationalism but that
it should be accomplished peacefully.
American Scots seek to reconnect with their Motherland, not only as a
confirmation of who they are,
but also in a secret hope that they are worthy people at last, in their own
right, and in secret, they hope the cycle of intergenerationally
transmitted suffering ,which many hold in common,might cease at last. Such
is the cast of the net of apology; it comes so close to what is needed but
is so far from what is needed by its true intent. It would be wonderful if
American Scots assembled large investment cartels and cooperatively
purchased large estates now owned by other extranationals in the Highlands,
and which comprise the bulk of ownership there. A parallel policy on the
part of Scottish Parliament to encourage such cooperative Scottish land
ownership would also mark the sincerety of such a proposed apology. Indeed
today many Clan Land Trusts are girding themselves to accomplish this
slowly over time.
Your interest in the dynamics of intergenerational trauma, and the
mechanisms which continue it, would make the subject matter of a very good
book. I try to wear that trauma as an adornment for the most part
but there are times when those who seek to ignore it, or seek to redefine
it as nonexistent, bring it back as if it had happened to me personally,
rather than to my ancestors. I apologize deeply if I have offended anyone
on the list with its recent manifestation in my writings to you all.
Yours Sincerely,
Dale Hinchey
Caledonia County,
Vermont , USA .
At 06:17 PM 10/2/00 -0700, Donna & Bruce wrote:
>I have been reading these postings with great interest. As a therapist
>who deals
>with people suffering from trauma, I have come to respect the role of
>multi-generational traumas and the way they impact the current
>generation. As a
>survivor of the multiple migratory moves (political, environmental, economical
>and/or self-driven) of my ancestors, I come to a deeper understanding of
>what has
>shaped, and continues to shape, myself and my family.
>
>Blessings to all,
>
>Donna May-Crete
>GGGD of Virginia St. Clair of KY
>
>Dale Hinchey wrote:
>
> > I'm with ye laddie. Best to leave the skeletons i' th' close.
> > DH
> >
> > At 06:50 PM 10/2/00 +0200, you wrote:
> > >I have reread John, Dale and Rory postings. I still find myself moved by
> > >the sadness and suffering that must have overcome the transported. But
> > >still I feel a touch of pride in Caithness's actions. The very idea of an
> > >apology is an anathema to me. How do you say I am sorry for brutalising
> > >your country. How do you say sorry for ending your way of life, abetted a
> > >medieval one. What do we, generations later, have the right to accept such
> > >an apology on those long dead. I cannot justify any action by a
> > >grandstanding petty Parliament. Dale is correct imperialistly twice we
> > >spread the British Empire across the world. Is it not the role of man to
> > >expand his national interests? Americas "sea to shinning sea" the
> Russian
> > >empire and others to numerous to mention. Communication made it possible
> > >and now that we came communicate directly without goverment
> interference are
> > >we not in the position to reclaim the world. This world was inherited
> from
> > >our forefathers it is on loan from our children it is to them we owe the
> > >correctness of our actions.
> > >
> > >Sinclair
> > >-
> > >
> > >[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
> > >[ To get off or on the list, see http://www.mids.org/sinclair/list.html
> > >
> > Personal Web Page: Dale Hinchey <http://personalweb.smcvt.edu/dhinchey>
> > Where I teach:Saint Johnsbury Academy Web
> > Page:<http://www.state.vt.us/schools/stj/>
> > [ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
> > [ To get off or on the list, see http://www.mids.org/sinclair/list.html
>
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