Carn 109

Vel eh feeu dy ve coontit dy h-oikoil myr mynlught?

Ny Cornee ta gobbraghey son yn ashoon Cornagh, t’eh jeeaghyn dy vel y chooid smoo jeusyn coontey eh dy ve feeu dy ve coontit myr mynlught. Ta reiltys y Reeriaght Unnaneyssit (RU) gobbal dy vel ny Cornee 'mynlught ashoonagh' ('a national minority'). Mastey ny Cornee ta jannoo caggey noi yn briwnys shen ta Ann Trevenen Jenkin, Alistair Quinnell as Graham Sandercock.

Ayns 1995, marish steatyn elley jeh Coonceil yn Oarpey, dooyrt reiltys yn RU dy row eh ayns coardailys rish yn Cochruinnaght Crauelagh (Framework Convention) ry hoi Coadey Mynlughtyn Ashoonagh. Kyndagh rish shen, lhisagh yn RU cur arrym da cairyn mynlughtyn ashoonagh, jannoo caggey noi lhiettrymys, cur er e hoshiaght cormid, freayll as lhiasaghey cultoor as chengaghyn mynlughtyn ashoonagh, cur raane dy jean yn ym-ysseraght (media) cur geill da mynlughtyn ashoonagh, as greinnaghey mynlughtyn ashoonagh dy ghoaill ayrn ayns cooishyn theayagh.

Kyndagh rish yn Co-chruinnaght Crauelagh, begin da'n RU cur imraa (report) da Coonceil yn Oarpey, screeu sheese ny va reiltys yn RU jannoo bentyn rish ny currym listit heose. Haink yn imraa shoh rish ayns 1999. Ayns yn imraa, t'eh ry akin dy vel reiltys yn RU smooinaghtyn nagh vel eiraght ny Cornee ayns feme jeh coadey er lheh. T'eh ceau magh y treealtys dy lhisagh ny Cornee ve coontit myr mynlught ashoonagh, ga dy vel ymmodee Cornee as olteynyn Cornagh jeh Kiare as Feed Hostyn laccal dy ve coontit myr shoh. Geiyrt er y vriwnys shoh jeant ec reiltys yn RU, ta Cornee scanshoil er jeet ry cheilley dy screeu Imraa y Vynlught Ashoonagh Cornagh. Ta'n imraa shoh gra dy lhisagh ny Cornee ve coontit myr mynlught ashoonagh as ta stoo dy liooar screeut sheese dy hoilshaghey dy vel shen kiart. Ta mish jannoo coontey giare jeh’n imraa syn art shoh.

Ta’n imraa gra nagh vel y fockle 'mynlught' arganagh - 't'eh bentyn da possan ta sloo as neu-chionysagh (nondominant).' Agh cha nel eh aashagh dy ghra c'red ta 'mynlught ashoonagh'. Ayns y Cho-chruinnaght Crauelagh hene, cha nel meenaghey cronnal (precise definition) jeh 'mynlught ashoonagh' ry gheddyn - cha dod ny steatyn ta goaill ayrn cheet gys coardailys mychione shoh! Agh ny yei shen as ooilley, foddee meenaghey ennagh goll er tayrn magh ass y Cochruinnaght Crauelagh. Ta stoo ayn mychione y jarroo-enney (identity) jeh mynlught ashoonagh cheet voish craueeaght, chengey, tradishoonyn as eiraght cultooroil. As ayns stoo screeut ec y Cho-chruinnaght, t’eh soilshaghey dy row sleih goaill ymmyd jeh’n cherrym (term) 'mynlught ashoonagh' roish my daink monney sleih neu-Oarpagh dy chummal syn Oarpey (ta reiltys yn RU cliaghtey smooinaghtyn mychione sleih lesh crackan doo, dhone as bwee tra t’ou gimraa 'mynlughtyn' - as, ec y traa cheddin, ta'n reiltys cheddin jarrood dy vel ny Celtiee ayn).

Red ta cur cree da ny Cornee, t’eh jeeaghyn dy vel y Co-chruinnaght coontey cummal er y thalloo cheddin rish traa feer foddey myr tro (characteristic) jeh 'mynlught ashoonagh'. Ny sodjey na shen, t'eh jeeaghyn dy vel y Cochruinnaght (Convention) bunnys arryltagh dy ghra 'my t'ou uss smooinaghtyn dy vel uss ayns possan ennagh, t'ou uss ayns y phossan shen.' Ta shoh garraghey ersooyl veih'n chenn smooinaght- fer-oik ginsh dhyt 'T'ou uss dty oltey jeh possan X as cha nod oo jannoo arganeys mychione shen.'

Er y laue elley, ta reiltys yn RU foddey ny smoo coon na shoh. T'eh currit da daah dty chrackan er aght ennagh. Dy jarroo, ta'n Oik Sthie (Home Office) gra 'cha nel reiltys yn RU cur enney er 'mynlught ashoonagh' erbee er y fa nagh vel shoh ny herrym leighoil kiart syn RU' ('not a legally recognised term within the UK'). Syn ynnyd jeh shen, ta reiltys yn RU meenaghey mynlught ashoonagh myr 'possan kynneeagh' ('racial group'), geiyrt er Slattys Cooidjaght Chynneeagh (Race Relations Act) ayns 1976. Ny yei shen, cha nel y slattys shen meenaghey yn cherrym 'possan kynneeagh' as t'eh gimraa ny 'bunyn ashoonagh' ('national origins') jeh possanyn. Ayns y clattys shoh, ta possan kynneeagh goll er meenaghey myr 'possan dy 'leih er ny veenaghey (defined) liorish daah’n chrackan, kynney, ashoonaght (goaill stiagh seyraanaght), ny bunyn kynneeagh, ny bunyn ashoonagh.' Ta reiltys yn RU goaill rish dy vel 'bunyn ashoonagh' ('national origins') ec ny h-Albinee, Bretnee as Yernee. Er e hon shen, ta reiltys yn RU arryltagh dy ghra 'possanyn kynneeagh' rish ny h-Albinee, Bretnee as Yernee kyndagh rish ny 'bunyn ashoonagh' oc.

Er e hon shen, er y fa nagh vel crackan doo/dhone/bwee ec y chooid smoo jeh ny Cornee, shegin daue croghey er ny h-eieyn jeh 'shenn jarroo-enney ashoonagh' ('historic national identity') ny 'boodeeys kynneeagh' ('ethnic community') dy chur er reiltys yn RU dy ghra 'mynlught ashoonagh' rish ny Cornee.

Ayns 1993, ren sleih kianlt lesh Coonceil yn Oarpey meenaghey 'mynlught ashoonagh' myr possan dy 'leih ayns steat ta cummal sy steat shen, freayll kianglaghyn beayn lesh y steat shen, as taishbyney troghyn (characteristics) kynneeagh, cultooroil, crauee, ny troghyn-chengey. Bee sleih dy liooar sy vynlught ashoonagh, agh bee sloo jeu ayn na'n chooid elley jeh cummaltee y steat (er nonney, bee sloo jeu ayn na ny cummaltee elley ayns rheynn-cheerey jeh’n steat). Ec y traa cheddin, bee sleih y vynlught jeean dy 'reayll y jarroo-enney oc, y cultoor, ny tradishoonyn, y chraueeaght, ny'n chengey oc. Gyn ourys, ta'n meenaghey shoh ny smoo foaysagh da ny Cornee na'n fer t'ec reiltys yn RU. As ayns yn imraa ta screeut ec ny Cornee, t’ad cur trimmid er ny h-anchaslyssyn eddyr ny Cornee as ny Sostnee. Cre mychione Mannin ayns ny cooishyn shoh? Nurree, hooar mee feyshtane (questionnaire) veih sheshaght ynsit syn Iddaal. Va'n feyshtane shirrey fys mychione mynlughtyn syn Oarpey. Gyn ourys, va’n sleih syn Iddaal coontey shinyn, ny Manninee, dy ve nyn mynlught. Agh tra ghow mee toshiaght dy chur freggyrtyn sy feyshtane, hoig mee nagh dod mee freggyrt monney jeh ny feyshtyn. Myr sampleyr, cre mysh y feysht: 'Vel sleih veih'n vynlught goaill ayrn sy reiltys?' Fy yerrey, hug mee seose, ga dy row sleih va stiurey'n feyshtane guee orrym cur stiagh y stoo va mee abyl jannoo. Agh dy beagh shen jeant aym, veigns cur Mannin ayns kishtey beg nagh vel cooie jee. Shimmey feysht t'ayn. Cre'n steat ta shin 'ayn', myr sampleyr? Agh hug eh creeaght dou dy ve lhaih imraa ny Cornee: veih'n stoo screeut ec leighderyn eddyr-ashoonagh, ta Mannin ny h-ashoon kiart dy liooar!

Brian Stowell

The Cornish National Minority Report makes an excellent case for the protection of the Cornish as a 'national minority'. Analysis of the issues raised is needed in Mannin.