Samis on Skye

 

I'm just back from an entertaining three days as a tour guide on Skye with 28 Sami academics and writers (left) and George, a witty bus driver from Aberdeen. And before you ask……

1. The Sami are indigenous people from Arctic Norway (NOT Peru!)
2. I don't speak Sami, Norwegian or Gaelic.
3. George can do a very fine rendition of the Northern Lights under pressure.

My connection with the Sami group was born from delightful coincidence – I briefly met tour leader Dr Harald Gaski a year ago in Tromso on a tour organised by the Norwegian Consulate in Edinburgh. We met again at the Barents Spetakel in Kirkenes in January this year -- Harald wanted to take Sami writers to find out about Gaelic and parallels between the two North European minority languages and cultures. The Sami are Norway's indigenous people, whose nomadic way of life has traditionally centred on reindeer herding and seasonal fishing. "Norwegianisation" ended in the 1960s, when the government stopped forcing Sami people to speak Norwegian and gave them control of land. Sami is now used in local schools and in 1989 a Sami parliament was created in Karasjok where representatives from all over Norway create policy on education and cultural matters. There are 25k speakers – half the number speaking Gaelic in Scotland.

So there was a lot to talk about - but who to visit and when? They had only four days available – which HAD to include a day at the shops!!

We decided Skye was the best place for a two day immersion in Gaeldom and finally the day arrived. Fully kitted out in their traditional dress we drove to Skye where Bòrd na Gàidhlig chief Arthur Cormack talked about the fabulous Feisean movement and responded to a burst of traditional Sami "joiking" with very similar "mouth music" – pipe tunes kept alive through song after Culloden when pipes, kilts, clans and Gaelic were banned. Then poet Maoilios Caimbeul spoke describing the difficulty of English to Gaelic translation. Echo was one example of different concepts in the two languages –in Gaelic there is no word for echo because it means the sound of the rock. The Sami group exclaimed to a man (and woman) that echo is seen as rock speech in Sami too. Later there was an extraordinary performance by the feisty Gaelic threesome Maggie Bennett, Christine Primrose and Talitha MacKenzie at a Sabhal Mor Ostaig ceilidh in response to some traditional Sami "joiking." Apparently singing together for the first time they sang a slow and utterly beautiful version of the 'Eriskay Love Lilt' the song I know as 'Vermio-o rovannoh.' Looking on YouTube for a Gaelic version I cant find one – record this as a YouTube single now ladies!!!!!

Later the slightly vintage coach carrying myself and 28 visiting Sami academics from Arctic Norway started gushing thick black smoke after an oil leak on the road to Dunvegan on Skye. Not one but three local van, lorry and car drivers pulled in immediately – One gave George the local garage number and while he tried to find a signal (left) David drove me to find Murdo MacDonald – a local crofter with a schools bus contract who immediately jumped from his tractor and came to the rescue.
After delivering us to the Old School Restaurant in Dunvegan where 28 lunches were sitting waiting Murdo left without even asking for petrol money, and the local Skyeways bus company diverted a nearby coach to complete the day's journey once again not asking for an upfront credit card, address or payment arrangement.
"Och let's get you there first. We can sort the rest out later."

Strangely enough that wee mishap gave the Sami group firsthand experience of Gaelic culture and Highland hospitality (and the earlier sampling tour of Talisker probably did no harm either). John Norman and Donald Angus at the Gaelic College, Sabhal Mor Ostaig valiantly waited an hour and a half for us on a sunny Friday afternoon to show how an old barn has been transformed into an international Gaelic college – and only after we rumbled out of Sleat towards Inverness again did the half bottles of Aquavit surface.

As Enid Blyton might have remarked the entourage were "tired but happy" when we got back to Inverness where a hardy few made it along to Hootenanys and found an Irish Gael who'd just visited their home towns. Small world. And a really colourful one when there are confident, curious, creative people all around. Thanks to everyone who helped us on the way – especially "Sami Sandy" at the Slig, Paul at MacLeans and Roger at Feisty who pieced the tour together.

Comments

[Siri Gaski]

Hi Lesley,

just wanted to alert you to the fact that I uploaded my video of the "Eriskay Love Lilt" to youtube, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OE2TiKooW4 Sadly, I didn't get the whole thing, but I think what I did manage to film was plenty beautiful:)

And thank you again for a lovely trip!

Siri