GAELIC protestors are to converge on the National Museum of Scotland to demonstrate against a major new Jacobite exhibition which they claim downplays the role of their native tongue in the uprisings.
The major new exhibition is the largest in more than 70 years and is about the Jacobites and their cause which portrays them as pawns in European dynastic politics.
Treasures from Rome and the Vatican are on display in the UK for the first time as part of the new show.
Agenda: Gaels deserve a bigger place in display of Jacobite risings
But Gaelic language supporters will today protest outside the museum about what they claim is the marginalisation of Gaels by the exhibition.
The entire 200 year historical showcase is told in English which the campaigners believe is an act of "linguistic and cultural erasure."
Academics have already written to museum bosses to protest at the lack of Gaelic in the spectacle and they have been joined by groups such as the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia.
Now campaigners who want more recognition for Gaelic, has organised a demonstration outside the Edinburgh museum on the first full day the exhibition is open to the public.
Agenda: Gaels deserve a bigger place in display of Jacobite risings
Wilson McLeod, Professor of Gaelic at Edinburgh University and his colleague Anja Gunderloch, Lecturer in Celtic have written in today's Herald agenda expressing their disappointment at the new show.
They say: "The NMS website promises that the exhibition will ‘examine some of the misconceptions that have surrounded’ the Jacobites, but they appear to have maintained one of the most enduring and pernicious misconceptions: that the Gaels were minor players in the Jacobite movement and that the English language suffices to tell all aspects of the Jacobite story. The physical exhibition will be entirely in English, with the Gaelic element in the ‘Jacobite story’ downplayed and marginalised; an act of linguistic and cultural erasure."
The National Museum of Scotland has drawn up a Gaelic language plan as part of the Scottish Government's commitment to raise the status and profile of Gaelic, and create practical opportunities for learning and use of the language.
Agenda: Gaels deserve a bigger place in display of Jacobite risings
Gaelic language plans are a statutory requirement for all public bodies in Scotland.
Museum bosses met with representatives of the national body for Gaelic, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, to discuss the campaigners concerns.
There will be a Gaelic version of the tour and commentary for visitors to download and there are several Gaelic exhibits included in the show.
Shona MacLennan, Bòrd na Gàidhlig Chief Executive, said: “We are aware that concerns have been expressed by members of the Gaelic community at what is seen as a lack of Gaelic content in the exhibition.
"Recognising and acknowledging the views of the Gaelic community is another important principle contained within the Gaelic Language Act and Bòrd na Gàidhlig sees this discussion as an important part of that.
The exhibition, which runs until November 12, features treasures from Rome and the Vatican in the UK for the first time, as part of the collage of items which tell the story of the Jacobites as part of wider European power struggles.
Agenda: Gaels deserve a bigger place in display of Jacobite risings
A National Museums Scotland spokeswoman said “We do not think it is appropriate for this exhibition to be bi-lingual as its approach is to explore the Jacobite cause in its full pan-European historical context.
“It explores a 200 year period of Scottish, British and European history from the perspective of the dynastic claim of the Stuarts to the thrones of Scotland, England and Ireland and covers events which took place in England, France and Italy as well as in Scotland. Gaelic is represented in the section of the exhibition that looks at the events of 1745-6.
"We do not doubt that an important exhibition could be mounted which looked in more detail at the 1745 challenge and the profound consequences for the people of the Highlands, their language and culture. However, that is not what this particular exhibition sets out to do.
"Gaelic translations of the main exhibition text have been created for our schools programme and will be made generally available for download via our website, with free wi-fi available in the exhibition gallery.”
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