Siol nan Gaidheal
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Siol nan Gaidheal (Scots Gaelic for Seed of the Gaels), was formed as a Scottish nationalist organisation with a focus mainly on Scottish history, heritage and culture, particularly those aspects that are "Celtic." The term Siol, has no direct equivalent in English, and is frequently found in names used for various clans, e.g. the Campbells were "Siol Dhiarmaid" (Dermid's "Siol"), and the MacDonalds "Siol Dhomhnaill" (Donald's Siol). In phrases like these, siol is best translated as "offspring" or "House" with regard to clans or noble families i.e. the House of Alpin would be translated as Siol Ailpín and this perhaps clarifies the meaning of the name.
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[edit] General overview
Radical Nationalism in Scotland consists of a mixture of Scottish Nationalist traditions. These traditions have influenced the creation and development of the movement known as Siol nan Gaidheal.
The Scottish National Party – a political party which seeks Scottish Independence - is made up from a very different mix of Scottish Nationalist traditions than those that influence Siol nan Gaidheal. Most significantly, Siol nan Gaidheal’s concerns are mainly cultural and social whereas those of the Scottish National Party are political and economic. Siol nan Gaidheal has stated no interest in contesting elections, deeming electoral politics to be the remit of the Scottish National Party. SnG has always declared themselves to be Ultra-Nationalists – Ultra-Nationalist in the sense that the Nationalist Revolution will only be starting when a sovereign Scottish Parliament is set up.
[edit] The birth of Siol nan Gaidheal
Siol nan Gaidheal was founded in 1978 as an Ultra-Nationalist reaction to the frustrations of the great devolution debate. The founder of this Siol nan Gaidheal, Tom Moore, had returned to Scotland after 12 years in New York, and had been disappointed after finding what he claimed to be "the Scottish Spirit sadly lacking and the SNP mealy-mouthed". He wanted an organisation whose aim was to inspire nationalism without inhibition or restraint. He believed Scots should be conscious, proud and unashamed of their own identity. This new organisation, founded within the SNP, was to challenge what they believed to be the moribund devolutionist leadership of the SNP and build up the morale of rank and file nationalists shattered after the defeats of 1979 when Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Government won power at Westminster, and rejected any notion of Scottish Home Rule.
The aim of this movement was to inject spirit, emotion and good fun back into the demoralised Nationalist movement. It encompassed a Colour Party of black shirts and skirts, as well as the pipes, drums, flags and the black Saltire banner.
Militant nationalism was on the march. Left-wing radicals in the SNP set up the Republican Socialist 79 Group whose influence enabled Jim Sillars, the ex-Scottish Labour Party leader to join the National Party. Sillars brought with him the old Scottish Labour Party policy of Independence in Europe which provided a new platform for the devolutionist tendency within the Party. Even the old 1320 Club joined in and merged with Siol nan Gaidheal.
At the stormy 1982 Ayr Conference, the Scottish National Party, under the leadership of Gordon Wilson, split and threw out Siol nan Gaidheal, concerned at the negative image being projected by them. There had been reports of rowdy and aggressive behaviour towards SNP stewards at marches, as well as the wearing of paramilitary uniforms, secret drills and access to firearms. S.N.G. became a proscribed organisation to the SNP, tired of factionalism within the party. This status has remained in force to the present day. Prominent radical nationalists including the future SNP leader Alex Salmond were also expelled from the party for membership of the '79 Group'. Although proscribed, S.N.G. has always maintained it has great and sustained support, openly and covertly, from the vast majority of nationalists, both the rank and file and in many cases, from those who publicly decry them.
The most radical Ultra-Nationalists within Siol nan Gaidheal were concerned enough about the possible destruction of Scotland as a Nation to set up a military wing "Arm nan Gaidheal" (Army of the Gael) to free Scotland by force. Inevitably, "Tartan Terrorism" failed and the first manifestation of Siol nan Gaidheal disintegrated.
[edit] The Second Manifestation of Siol nan Gaidheal
In 1988, anticipating the upsurge of Scottish Nationalism which led to Jim Sillars' victory for the Scottish National Party in Glasgow’s Govan, Jackie Stokes founded a completely new nationalist organisation, and took the name Siol nan Gaidheal.
This particular manifestation of Siol nan Gaidheal had been launched after several years were spent studying the actions, mistakes, results and deaths of all previous Ultra-Nationalist organisations. Lessons, the leadership believed, had been learned, and safeguards installed. From the beginning, there was a complete determination from those involved, that this S.N.G. would prosper. There were branches set up all over Scotland, and others established in England and the rest of Europe [citation needed] .
These branches' activities were strictly controlled. The hierarchy consisted of a twenty two man National Executive Committee but even their decisions were controlled to a certain extent by the National Organiser (Jackie Stokes) who retained power of veto over each and every decision taken.
Working to the blueprint he had drawn up, Stokes, established an SnG Colour Party, this to impress and aid recruitment. Smaller committees were set up to cover Scottish Culture, Education, Security, Research, History, Politics etc. There was also a strong SnG Women’s Movement in progress.
SnG also set up a group of articulate individuals with long-term knowledge of the Scottish scene, these were employed as a mobile force to tour schools, colleges and universities giving lectures on SnG policy and world view. Their task was primarily and candidly to recruit the best individuals these establishments had to offer. Their secondary purpose, more controversially, was to investigate the percentage of English students attending each of these establishments in order to add to the research being carried out by others on the proof or otherwise of what was referred to as "The Englishing of Scotland"
Siol nan Gaidheal carried out many campaigns successfully, they promoted the Scottish Gaelic language and to that end, sent questionnaires to practically every school in Scotland asking teachers and headmasters to support the teaching of Gaelic. They also supported the use of Lowland Scots or Lallans as a language that historically has its own value in Scotland.
Siol nan Gaidheal considered Scotland to be a spiritual homeland with a global contribution to make to the development of mankind. The movement draws inspiration from certain spiritual aspects of what has often been termed "Celtic Romanticism" and the ideals of the Scottish Renaissance blended with the determination of Scotland's Celtic-Gaelic warrior ancestors.
Perhaps their most successful but most controversial activity was the collecting of data on those they perceived as being English appointees in top jobs in Scotland. This received wide publicity, both for positive and negative reasons [citation needed]. Siol nan Gaidheal's opinion was that it was no accident that these people could arrive in Scotland and be guaranteed a high paying job within days of their arrival, despite there being more than enough equally or higher qualified Scots to fill the jobs.
The new Siol nan Gaidheal continued to grow under Jackie Stokes’ direction to become larger by far than even he had anticipated, its membership estimated to be at about three hundred in 1990. Many rank and file members of the old S.N.G. re-joined and a whole new generation of young people enthusiastically committed themselves to the cause of radical Scottish Nationalism. This new mass membership wanted action and the S.N.G. organisation evolved to meet the demands of this large influx of people. Besides the formation of branches and the setting up of committees as well as the controlling N.E.C, "Siol" also set up an Ard Fheis (Annual General Meeting).
Despite this, the pressure of the day to day business of the organisation increasingly had to be shouldered by the National Organiser. Siol nan Gaidheal undertook to attend and at times organise various Scottish marches, rallies and commemorations. They created the Black Saltire banners, inserting black instead of blue as the background of the Flag of Scotland, the explanation being that Scotland was in mourning for its lost sovereignty and nationhood. They created more banners depicting the Rising Celtic Sun symbol over a new Alba, other flags depicting Celtic Bulls and Boars and many other innovative Celtic-Gaelic designs and wording.
Siol nan Gaidheal organised folk nights, dances and other cultural events at both local and national levels. A great deal of charity work was done and donations of money and books etc. were made to Gaelic play groups and schools. Larger donations were sent in support of groups such as the Assynt Crofters in their successful "land war".
For a moment it even seemed possible that the SNP’s slogan of "Scotland Free by 93" might be proved to be right. In the first months of 1992 with a General Election expected at any time, there were a number of events which seemed to be signposts on the road to Independence. SNP leader Alex Salmond was popularly believed to have won the Great Debate in the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on the constitutional future of Scotland. Opinion polls showed a rising support for total independence, and the Sun newspaper turned overnight from the Unionist to the Scottish Nationalist cause, prominently displaying the slogan "Fighting for Independence" under its masthead (although this may have been a tactic to split the Labour vote and thus aid the Conservative Party at the time, as it reverted later). It was in this heady atmosphere of a General Election campaign that Siol nan Gaidheal held its weekend long Ard Fheis. There was a press conference, folk nights, children’s entertainment and a whole series of classes and workshops on Scottish Language, History and Culture.
However, this optimism faded with the result of the General Election of 1992 and the return of yet another Conservative Government. A vigil was organised outside the Scottish Assembly Building on Calton Hill and briefly an all party organisation Scotland United was set up to press for Home Rule. A series of mass demonstrations were held, with a vigil being maintained at Calton Hill throughout John Major's 1992-1997 term of office, but the Tory government were unmoved and "Scotland United" faded away. It was in this era that the National Organiser of Siol nan Gaidheal, Jackie Stokes, suffered a heart attack brought on by the stress of running S.N.G. and the considerably heavy workload he was shouldering. An attempt to delegate the running of "Siol" was made, but the people appointed were considered unable to do the job fully, and ultimately, Stokes was forced to close the entire organisation down. The demise of Siol nan Gaidheal led to the dispersal of its membership. Some rejoined the Scottish National Party, but most drifted away from the Nationalist scene altogether. The frustration felt by some radical members led them to go and form other organisations such as Scottish Watch and Settler Watch, both dedicated to campaigning against the "Englishing of Scotland", often though violent acts on English homeowners.
[edit] The Third manifestation of Siol nan Gaidheal
Responding to the challenge of new times and the demands of its former members, Jackie Stokes re-established the third manifestation of Siol nan Gaidheal in the new year of 1997. He did, however, hand over the position of National Organiser to Nick Brand, in July 2000, but continued to assist in the running of the organisaton, concentrating mainly on the web site and forum. It was during this period that chapters were set up in the United States of America and in Canada as a focus for the diaspora in North America. After his death on 24th July 2001, it was Nick Brand who resumed the task of running Siol nan Gaidheal. However, the projects carried out by SnG have since been scaled down with the website in "Alba" (Scotland) and those in the US and Canada becoming the main focus for SnG members, supporters and other Scottish Nationalists around the world.
In May 2006, SnG held its first Ard Fheis in 14 years, in Dalwhinnie, Scotland.
[edit] General views of Siol nan Gaidheal
The Siol nan Gaidheal website sums up its views as follows:
- "The Siol nan Gaidheal organisation supports the revival of the Folkic traditions of Scotland and the Gaelic and Scots languages. The land of Scotland from which we as a people and our culture spring, is central to our vision. Sustainable land use is vital for the future of our country. Land must be reclaimed for the benefit of our people. Siol nan Gaidheal seeks to liberate the Scottish people from the worst excesses of English/British Cultural Imperialism and believes that English people resident in Scotland will integrate into and make a full contribution to the community of Scotland. SnG will dedicate itself to fulfilling our commitments to our country and people, we will thus not stand idly by and watch our country being used, abused or betrayed by enemies both internal and external. We are content to leave party political action to the Scottish National Party and the forth-coming Scottish Parliament. SnG exists to promote, safeguard and stimulate a third Scottish Renaissance which will use the best past traditions of Scotland to forge a new Nation which will be an example to the world."
[edit] References
The Hollow Drum, Arnold Kemp, ISBN 1-85158-588-5, pp166-172
Britain's Secret War, Andrew Murray Scott and Iain Macleay, ISBN 1-85158-313-0, pp 113-131.
