2014 is the Year of Homecoming, when people of Scottish descent are encouraged to return to Scotland to celebrate their ancestry and explore their roots. Scotland, like Ireland, is keen to reconnect with the Scottish diaspora: Scots and the descendants of Scots resident overseas.
Dr Tanja Bueltmann’s research is part of a growing scholarship on that diaspora. Her work exploring the role of Scottish associations and clubs in preserving Scottish identity in foreign lands has informed the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry Project. The project - part of Homecoming 2014 - involves 25 communities around the world creating embroidery panels that document their Scottish connections. As an advisor to the project, Bueltmann was able to demonstrate to the tapestry makers the importance of Scottish associations to the diaspora. This resulted in the suggestion of developing a thematic panel on Scottish associations for the Tapestry. Dr Bueltmann was able to use her Scottish community connections in New Zealand to help the tapestry team engage with this group. Bueltmann has also advised on elements of the National Museum of Scotland’s exhibition currently planned as part of the commemorations of the centenary of World War 1. To enhance the exhibition visitors' understanding of the meaning of military Scottishness amongst the diaspora, the organisers wanted to explore Scottish military culture within the wider context of Scottish ethnic clubs and societies, and thus asked Dr Bueltmann to advise the project given her expertise in the field.
The next phase of Dr Bueltmann’s public outreach work is an on-line project to collect stories from the Scottish diaspora. Using social media she is connecting with people from all over the world and inviting them through an online questionnaire to give their perspective on what Scottish identity means to them http://mystory.thescottishdiaspora.co.uk/. This project ties in with Dr Bueltmann’s ongoing research on the Scottish diaspora.
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Band practice prior to New York Tartan Day Parade from scotsdiaspora on Vimeo.
