Iona - Highland Village
Whilst not the first place I visited the Highland Village in Iona (https://highlandvillage.novascotia.ca) was certainly the most impressive from a story perspective. The Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village is an outdoor living history museum that tells the story of Gaelic settlement in Nova Scotia. My visit to this place was moving and inspiring as I soaked in the struggle, perseverance and hope filled desire for a better future. Here’s the overview in story form - enjoy!
Scotland
In the 1700’s poor Scottish farmers worked as tenants for their landlord. Subsistence farming, high taxes and stone homes were all that could be afforded and hoped for in life. Cooking was done over a peat bog fire that filled the house with smoke, they ground their own flour and often only had two simple doors on either side of the house for ventilation. The whole family slept in a large wooden cabinet like structure that gave some protection from the cold and damp.
It was a hard and bitterly fought life, eeked out of nature by farming potatoes, harvesting seaweed and trying to grow simple crops. This put a huge burden on them as most were not landholders but indentured labour to the stewards of the land meaning most of their crops and produce went to the owners with little left for themselves.
They looked for a better way of life and with the opening up of the Canadian colonies many moved to Nova Scotia. The elderly however suffered as they were the ones left behind.
First Log Cabins
The first settlers to make a home in Nova Scotia found it a hard life, but there was hope! They could claim their own land and hold title over it as landlords. The native Indians were initially helpful and shared the land, though over the century this relationship became less amicable and rights were disputed – and denied. During the early years though, the stone and mud huts of Scotland were replaced by log cabins which were more spacious and enabled more efficient use of fire and their cooking ability improved. Land tenure was achieved by proving capability to secure, farm and house your family.
One lady, in competition with her relatives for a certain piece of land walked the 50 miles to Sydney, NS, through the night, just to make sure she got her claim. Much to her joy she beat her relatives for, they too, had headed off in the evening bound for Sydney. However, they stopped for a drink at friends place and were delayed, enabling her a welcome victory.
The 1800’s
As the century moved on schooling began, as did improved means of agriculture and making of garments using wool and flax. The beating of the flax and stretching the linen was a whole community endeavor. Each person would bring their flax or linen and processing was done amongst much singing and food.
End of the Century
By the end of the 19th century towns were growing and many young men, rather than work the farms, would go off to find work in the mines or in the fishing fleets. Thus labour became harder to find in the farming communities and the poorer would offer to work for wages in lieu of having their own farms. Life was tough for the seafarer’s with many perishing at sea in storms or the dangerous nature of the work.
Up till this point Gaelic was still the major language of the area, however, with the move to the towns and cities the Gaelic culture was slowly starting to be eroded.
20th Century
By the 1920’s modernisation had found its way into Nova Scotia. Ovens and many other items were purchased from store catalogues that would arrive in the post. Once ordered the items were delivered and installed much like today. The language and culture were becoming more and more difficult to hold onto as times progressed with most of the young having moved away to the cities and towns.
Yes, a victory of sought had been won – people had worked hard over many generations to carve out a new life of hope and sufficiency. However, like many victories it came at a cost – culture and language got swallowed up as their world expanded and changed.
Today
The Highland Village, and the Gaelic festival held every October around Baddeck, NS, is a wholehearted attempt to reclaim the Gaelic language and culture. I truly found this living heritage village an inspiring and moving testament to past achievement and future hope that, along with becoming wealthier and healthier, these people are able to recover and rejoice in a culture and language goes back countless centuries.