Tweet
For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
https://electricscotland.com/scotnews.htm
Electric Scotland News
I confess to being rather fed up with the mainstream media. On the whole they are very biased and do a great disservice to the public. For example, looking at the US Elections I can see that Biden is likely to win BUT by a very small majority whereas most of the press predicted up to a 10% win for Biden but it now looks like under 2%. In the case of the Senate race it looks like the Republicans will hold the Senate and have greater numbers in the Congress. That was certainly not predicated by the mainstream press. And it appears that more Black Americans voted for Trump in this election as did Spanish speaking Americans.
Then as I mentioned in a previous newsletter the great success on Israel getting deals with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan with others likely to happen is a tremendous result for American diplomacy but as it's happened under TRUMP it either wasn't reported or at best in a very small way. This is something Americans should be proud of but likely know almost nothing about.
Of course it's not just America as it happens in Scotland and the UK as well. For example in Scotland the SNP are almost always right whereas many don't agree with the media's interpretation but you'd never know through the media.
We do need to look for other ways to get news that are not through the mainstream media. Like I will never believe the BBC when it comes to political coverage as they have always been anti-Brexit and anti-Trump.
Of course there are other issues which get played out in the media like Black Lives Matter. It's my personal opinion that ALL lives matter and that Black people are some of the most biased people on the planet. I worked on a slavery project as I still believe that in most cases they were treated better than many white people. In fact I was working on comparing the living conditions of many Scots in the Highlands to the condition of slaves in America. Trying to find factual information on this was almost impossible as most reports found were clearly biased and were not supported by facts. There are lots of facts on the Highlanders in Scotland but almost nothing about the slaves in America. There are facts available in Scotland on the number of deaths by starvation but couldn't find anything about deaths by starvation of slaves in America. I was also very interested to see how many slave owners were Scots or of Scots descent. The clan system in Scotland was very like being a slave as you had to fight for your clan but when that was then impossible to do after the 1745/6 rebellion that was the start of the Highland Clearances. The power of the chief was in the number of clan folk he could bring to a battle so when that was no longer possible the clans folk were seen as a liability and thus cleared of the land. I might also add that many of the clan chiefs were not very clever as they thought clearing the land to bring in sheep would be a much better earner but it's been shown that if they had helped their clansmen farm better it would have earned them far more in income. I would suggest you read the Crofting book to learn more about this.
America in particular keeps those myths alive whereas in actual fact the clan system was on the whole not a benefit. Like most Americans were led to believe that by supporting the IRA they were doing a good thing whereas they were responsible for many deaths. The Scots Irish are all from Scotland and are Scottish so the term Scots Irish is simply that they were Scots who emigrated to Northern Ireland and then to America.
Essentially it's a religious thing where the Catholics run Ireland and the Protestants run Northern Ireland. Thus the IRA are Catholic and want to do down the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland. BUT how many people actually know that?
And of course Google has banned the N word so that means you are seriously disadvantaged if you are searching for that term to do research. I do have the N word on my site and ignore the many Google emails that tell me to take it down. I won't be censored!!! There are historical texts and they deserve to be read. Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. seem to have taken over the Internet and in my opinion that's not good and they all have more than enough money to buy over any possible competitors. Like doing research using Google just provides links to mainly small and insignificant sites. What we need is a good search facility which doesn't work on popularity but depth of content. If you know of a search engine that does that please let me know. You might note that i have been using FreeFind on my own sites and that is because they do a much better job of finding relevant content than Google does. And they will list all pages to do with the search term rather that just the first 100 links that Google offers.
Anyway... just thought I'd get this of my chest and would be interested to know what you guys and gals think about it all.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as world news stories that can affect Scotland and all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
UK eyes up Canada Brexit trade deal
BORIS Johnson was handed a significant boost after Canada vowed to smooth the path towards a post-Brexit trade deal.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...trudeau-latest
Step back in time and tour an 'enigmatic' Pictish fort in the Highlands
Travel back through the centuries to Dun da Lamh, a Pictish-era hillfort with commanding views over Strathspey and which was a place of status, defence and tribal belonging.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-an...hlands-3019230
Childcare without parents
Turning parents into lost causes is one of the oldest and most damaging ideas in public child care policies
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2020/10/keept...thout-parents/
Sean Connery: James Bond actor dies aged 90
Sir Sean died peacefully in his sleep, while in the Bahamas, having been unwell for some time, his son said.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-13087132
Recovery
Recovery is a campaign to lead the UK out of the Covid19 crisis into a positive future.
Read more at:
https://timeforrecovery.org/
Scottish councils at breaking point
In its most recent report on Scotland’s councils, Audit Scotland (Overview 2020) notes that demographic and social change is creating demand for services while the strain on budgets continues to intensify.
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2020/11/scott...reaking-point/
SNP planning Scottish consulates in every EU state
NICOLA STURGEON and the SNP have been backed to open Scottish Government offices in every EU member state - despite Brexit edging ever closer and Scotland not yet being an independent country.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...europe-offices
In defence of David Hume
The University of Edinburgh’s decision to remove the name of David Hume (1711-1776) from the campus tower of that name, is just the latest manifestation of today’s ‘woke’ movement in which self-appointed ‘Inquisitors’ investigate possible heretics and pronounce judgement on those convicted.
Read more at:
https://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkp...ead_full=14317
Our silver darlings
Hebridean knitwear firm wraps jumpers in glimmering paper to hail founder’s inspirational gran and the Herring Girls of Scotland
Read more at:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/our-si...ls-of-scotland
The evidence does not lie - the SNP is bad for your health
I VOTED FOR DEVOLUTION in 1997 from a sense of Scottishness and because I thought bringing decision making closer to home would improve our public services. But Scotland has never been so divided and unhappy and our public services are deteriorating. I am a GP and in my professional opinion the SNP’s health record is lamentable. Here’s why.
Read more at:
https://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkp...ead_full=14322
The Democrats have won this battle, but Biden may be a lame duck from day one
From the Supreme Court to state government, Republicans are enjoying plenty of success
Read more at:
https://capx.co/the-democrats-have-w...duck-from-day/
GGconversations
These live virtual conversations are part of a series of dialogues between the Governor General of Canada and guests from different backgrounds. Tune in to the live stream or watch past conversations via the links below:
Read more at:
https://www.gg.ca/en/ggconversations
The Silent Majority
Polls are not elections
Read more at:
https://themajority.scot/2020/11/05/the-silent-majority
US Election 2020: Democrats' hopes of gaining control of Senate fade
Democrats are rapidly losing hope of gaining control of the US Senate after underperforming in key states.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54804080
Electric Canadian
Report on the affairs of the Indians in Canada. Section III
By Canada. Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Affairs of the Indians in Canada (1847) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...rstindians.pdf
Where the Buffalo Roamed
The Story of Western Canada Told for the Young by E. L. Marsh (1908) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...terncanada.pdf
Thoughts on a Sunday morning - 1st November 2020
By the Rev. Nola Crewe
You can view this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/show...-November-2020
Transactions of The Canadian Institute
Session 1892-93 (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...nstitute04.pdf
Electric Scotland
Alastair's viewing on YouTube
I watch several channels in the evening on a regular basis and so hope you find this list useful. They don't all produce regular videos but some do them 5 times a week and others a few times a week and others perhaps just once a week. They are of various lengths some will be half an hour or longer and others perhaps just 10 minutes and sometime around an hour. So hope you find this of interest and feel free to add a comment to this page if you'd like to share your own favourite YouTube channels.
You can view this at: https://electricscotland.com/lifestyle/youtube.htm
Scottish Society of Indianapolis
Got in the November 2020 newsletter
You can view this at: https://electricscotland.com/familyt...olis/index.htm
The Scots Magazine
Added a link to the first volume (1739) and some additional links to more information about the Publisher.
You can get to this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...tsmagazine.htm
The Imperial Magazine
1830 edition
You can read this issue at: https://electricscotland.com/lifesty...almagazine.htm
The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland
Published by the Authority of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the direction of the Master of the Rolls. The Buik of the Cronicles of Scotland; or A Metrical Version of the History of Hector Boece by William Stewart; Edited by William S. Turnbull (1857) (pdf)
Volume 1
https://electricscotland.com/history...Scotland01.pdf
Volume 2
https://electricscotland.com/history...Scotland02.pdf
Volume 3
https://electricscotland.com/history...Scotland03.pdf
Prize Essays and Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland
Got up Volumes 4, 5 and 8.
You can read these around 20% down the page at:
https://electricscotland.com/agriculture/index.htm
Peace in Believing
A Memoir of Isabella Campbell of Fernicarry, Roseneath, Dumbartonshire (second edition) by Robert Story (pdf)
You can read this at;
https://electricscotland.com/bible/P..._Believing.pdf
Napier Tercentenary Memorial Volume
Edited by Cargill Gilston Knott (1915) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...-volumepdf.pdf
Story
Scot who saved American buffalo
HE IS little known in his home country, but the Scot credited with saving America’s buffalo from being hunted to extinction is now the subject of an award-winning film.
The Buffalo King tells the tale of James “Scotty” Philip, who was born in Dallas, Moray, in 1858. One of ten siblings, he emigrated to the US in 1874 aged 15 in search of adventure.
Writer and director Justin Koehler grew up near Philip, South Dakota, a town named after the Scot. “I grew up 20 minutes from that town and I had no idea who Scotty Philip was, which was kind of embarrassing. How could I come from South Dakota and not know who he was?” he said.
“He should be a South Dakota hero, if not a North American hero. But this encouraged me to tackle this story and get it out there the way it should be.”
Working as a labourer, Philip moved from Kansas to the Dakota Territory in the Midwest to look for gold in the Black Hills. When he failed to find his fortune there, Philip moved from job to job. He was a scout in the US army, a ranch hand and a cowboy.
He built up a herd of cattle and settled on a ranch on part of an Indian reservation, which he was only allowed to do as a white man because his wife Sarah was part-Native American. He went on to become a wealthy cattle farmer and a senator.
Koehler said as a schoolboy Philip had won a blindfolded race by fearlessly sprinting for the finishing line. Asked if he had been “peeking”, Philip said: “No, ma’am, I kept the wind in my face.”
“He brought the same attitude here,” Koehler said: “He didn’t care what obstacles he was going to meet, he just went ahead. He just went for it, and it was something that was instilled in him at a young age.”
While he was building his ranch, Philip became involved with the preservation of the buffalo, or American bison. The animals had once roamed the grasslands in massive herds, but a combination of hunting and the introduction of diseases from domestic cattle had driven them to the brink of extinction.
Philip met a rancher called Peter Dupree who had managed to catch five buffalo calves during the last big hunt on the Grand River in 1881. After Dupree’s death, Philip bought his herd for $10,000, the equivalent of $250,000 nowadays.
Koehler said he believed Philip was motivated by outrage at the way the US government had treated Native American tribes. As a soldier he had witnessed the massacres at Wounded Knee and Fort Robinson.
Koehler said: “There are letters he sent back to Scotland in which he says how appalled he was at how the government was treating the Native Americans and what they were putting them through.
“He realised that if you eliminated the buffalo, you eliminated the Native Americans, and that was the mindset of the American government. Scotty could not understand this because he had tremendous respect for the Native Americans.”
He added: “He was just thinking differently from people of that time. In fact, I would say his thinking would be different from most people today.
“If he was alive today, he would be an icon, but he was certainly years ahead of his time.”
In 1901, Philip and his ranchers drove the herd of buffalo, now numbering 50, to a pasture set up specially for them. Through careful management, the herd expanded to almost 1,000 and became the source of stock for numerous national and state parks throughout the US.
Official figures show that the buffalo population was reduced from an estimated figure of 40 million to a low point of just 750 surviving buffalo in 1890, but by 2000 the breed had recovered to 360,000.
Philip’s funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners from all walks of life, following his sudden death aged 53 in 1911 from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Koehler said: “His funeral said it all. It was this huge event. They laid down a track just to get a train to bring out mourners, and the mourners consisted of politicians, because he was a senator; Native Americans; other cattlemen and friends. The diversity of people tells you a lot.”
The documentary has already received critical acclaim on the festival circuit, winning best documentary at the South Dakota Film Festival, as well as opening several other festivals. It has been submitted to the Glasgow Film Festival for inclusion in next year’s programme. See previe of the movie at:
You can learn more about him at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...es/buffalo.htm
END.
And that's it for this week and hope you all have a great weekend and mind and keep your distance, wash your hands and stay safe. Don't be stupid or selfish and instead be considerate of others and wear a mask if going shopping or into a crowded place and consider whether you should indeed go into a crowded space in the first place.
Alastair
https://electricscotland.com/scotnews.htm
Electric Scotland News
I confess to being rather fed up with the mainstream media. On the whole they are very biased and do a great disservice to the public. For example, looking at the US Elections I can see that Biden is likely to win BUT by a very small majority whereas most of the press predicted up to a 10% win for Biden but it now looks like under 2%. In the case of the Senate race it looks like the Republicans will hold the Senate and have greater numbers in the Congress. That was certainly not predicated by the mainstream press. And it appears that more Black Americans voted for Trump in this election as did Spanish speaking Americans.
Then as I mentioned in a previous newsletter the great success on Israel getting deals with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan with others likely to happen is a tremendous result for American diplomacy but as it's happened under TRUMP it either wasn't reported or at best in a very small way. This is something Americans should be proud of but likely know almost nothing about.
Of course it's not just America as it happens in Scotland and the UK as well. For example in Scotland the SNP are almost always right whereas many don't agree with the media's interpretation but you'd never know through the media.
We do need to look for other ways to get news that are not through the mainstream media. Like I will never believe the BBC when it comes to political coverage as they have always been anti-Brexit and anti-Trump.
Of course there are other issues which get played out in the media like Black Lives Matter. It's my personal opinion that ALL lives matter and that Black people are some of the most biased people on the planet. I worked on a slavery project as I still believe that in most cases they were treated better than many white people. In fact I was working on comparing the living conditions of many Scots in the Highlands to the condition of slaves in America. Trying to find factual information on this was almost impossible as most reports found were clearly biased and were not supported by facts. There are lots of facts on the Highlanders in Scotland but almost nothing about the slaves in America. There are facts available in Scotland on the number of deaths by starvation but couldn't find anything about deaths by starvation of slaves in America. I was also very interested to see how many slave owners were Scots or of Scots descent. The clan system in Scotland was very like being a slave as you had to fight for your clan but when that was then impossible to do after the 1745/6 rebellion that was the start of the Highland Clearances. The power of the chief was in the number of clan folk he could bring to a battle so when that was no longer possible the clans folk were seen as a liability and thus cleared of the land. I might also add that many of the clan chiefs were not very clever as they thought clearing the land to bring in sheep would be a much better earner but it's been shown that if they had helped their clansmen farm better it would have earned them far more in income. I would suggest you read the Crofting book to learn more about this.
America in particular keeps those myths alive whereas in actual fact the clan system was on the whole not a benefit. Like most Americans were led to believe that by supporting the IRA they were doing a good thing whereas they were responsible for many deaths. The Scots Irish are all from Scotland and are Scottish so the term Scots Irish is simply that they were Scots who emigrated to Northern Ireland and then to America.
Essentially it's a religious thing where the Catholics run Ireland and the Protestants run Northern Ireland. Thus the IRA are Catholic and want to do down the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland. BUT how many people actually know that?
And of course Google has banned the N word so that means you are seriously disadvantaged if you are searching for that term to do research. I do have the N word on my site and ignore the many Google emails that tell me to take it down. I won't be censored!!! There are historical texts and they deserve to be read. Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. seem to have taken over the Internet and in my opinion that's not good and they all have more than enough money to buy over any possible competitors. Like doing research using Google just provides links to mainly small and insignificant sites. What we need is a good search facility which doesn't work on popularity but depth of content. If you know of a search engine that does that please let me know. You might note that i have been using FreeFind on my own sites and that is because they do a much better job of finding relevant content than Google does. And they will list all pages to do with the search term rather that just the first 100 links that Google offers.
Anyway... just thought I'd get this of my chest and would be interested to know what you guys and gals think about it all.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as world news stories that can affect Scotland and all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
UK eyes up Canada Brexit trade deal
BORIS Johnson was handed a significant boost after Canada vowed to smooth the path towards a post-Brexit trade deal.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...trudeau-latest
Step back in time and tour an 'enigmatic' Pictish fort in the Highlands
Travel back through the centuries to Dun da Lamh, a Pictish-era hillfort with commanding views over Strathspey and which was a place of status, defence and tribal belonging.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-an...hlands-3019230
Childcare without parents
Turning parents into lost causes is one of the oldest and most damaging ideas in public child care policies
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2020/10/keept...thout-parents/
Sean Connery: James Bond actor dies aged 90
Sir Sean died peacefully in his sleep, while in the Bahamas, having been unwell for some time, his son said.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-13087132
Recovery
Recovery is a campaign to lead the UK out of the Covid19 crisis into a positive future.
Read more at:
https://timeforrecovery.org/
Scottish councils at breaking point
In its most recent report on Scotland’s councils, Audit Scotland (Overview 2020) notes that demographic and social change is creating demand for services while the strain on budgets continues to intensify.
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2020/11/scott...reaking-point/
SNP planning Scottish consulates in every EU state
NICOLA STURGEON and the SNP have been backed to open Scottish Government offices in every EU member state - despite Brexit edging ever closer and Scotland not yet being an independent country.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...europe-offices
In defence of David Hume
The University of Edinburgh’s decision to remove the name of David Hume (1711-1776) from the campus tower of that name, is just the latest manifestation of today’s ‘woke’ movement in which self-appointed ‘Inquisitors’ investigate possible heretics and pronounce judgement on those convicted.
Read more at:
https://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkp...ead_full=14317
Our silver darlings
Hebridean knitwear firm wraps jumpers in glimmering paper to hail founder’s inspirational gran and the Herring Girls of Scotland
Read more at:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/our-si...ls-of-scotland
The evidence does not lie - the SNP is bad for your health
I VOTED FOR DEVOLUTION in 1997 from a sense of Scottishness and because I thought bringing decision making closer to home would improve our public services. But Scotland has never been so divided and unhappy and our public services are deteriorating. I am a GP and in my professional opinion the SNP’s health record is lamentable. Here’s why.
Read more at:
https://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkp...ead_full=14322
The Democrats have won this battle, but Biden may be a lame duck from day one
From the Supreme Court to state government, Republicans are enjoying plenty of success
Read more at:
https://capx.co/the-democrats-have-w...duck-from-day/
GGconversations
These live virtual conversations are part of a series of dialogues between the Governor General of Canada and guests from different backgrounds. Tune in to the live stream or watch past conversations via the links below:
Read more at:
https://www.gg.ca/en/ggconversations
The Silent Majority
Polls are not elections
Read more at:
https://themajority.scot/2020/11/05/the-silent-majority
US Election 2020: Democrats' hopes of gaining control of Senate fade
Democrats are rapidly losing hope of gaining control of the US Senate after underperforming in key states.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54804080
Electric Canadian
Report on the affairs of the Indians in Canada. Section III
By Canada. Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Affairs of the Indians in Canada (1847) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...rstindians.pdf
Where the Buffalo Roamed
The Story of Western Canada Told for the Young by E. L. Marsh (1908) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...terncanada.pdf
Thoughts on a Sunday morning - 1st November 2020
By the Rev. Nola Crewe
You can view this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/show...-November-2020
Transactions of The Canadian Institute
Session 1892-93 (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...nstitute04.pdf
Electric Scotland
Alastair's viewing on YouTube
I watch several channels in the evening on a regular basis and so hope you find this list useful. They don't all produce regular videos but some do them 5 times a week and others a few times a week and others perhaps just once a week. They are of various lengths some will be half an hour or longer and others perhaps just 10 minutes and sometime around an hour. So hope you find this of interest and feel free to add a comment to this page if you'd like to share your own favourite YouTube channels.
You can view this at: https://electricscotland.com/lifestyle/youtube.htm
Scottish Society of Indianapolis
Got in the November 2020 newsletter
You can view this at: https://electricscotland.com/familyt...olis/index.htm
The Scots Magazine
Added a link to the first volume (1739) and some additional links to more information about the Publisher.
You can get to this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...tsmagazine.htm
The Imperial Magazine
1830 edition
You can read this issue at: https://electricscotland.com/lifesty...almagazine.htm
The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland
Published by the Authority of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the direction of the Master of the Rolls. The Buik of the Cronicles of Scotland; or A Metrical Version of the History of Hector Boece by William Stewart; Edited by William S. Turnbull (1857) (pdf)
Volume 1
https://electricscotland.com/history...Scotland01.pdf
Volume 2
https://electricscotland.com/history...Scotland02.pdf
Volume 3
https://electricscotland.com/history...Scotland03.pdf
Prize Essays and Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland
Got up Volumes 4, 5 and 8.
You can read these around 20% down the page at:
https://electricscotland.com/agriculture/index.htm
Peace in Believing
A Memoir of Isabella Campbell of Fernicarry, Roseneath, Dumbartonshire (second edition) by Robert Story (pdf)
You can read this at;
https://electricscotland.com/bible/P..._Believing.pdf
Napier Tercentenary Memorial Volume
Edited by Cargill Gilston Knott (1915) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...-volumepdf.pdf
Story
Scot who saved American buffalo
HE IS little known in his home country, but the Scot credited with saving America’s buffalo from being hunted to extinction is now the subject of an award-winning film.
The Buffalo King tells the tale of James “Scotty” Philip, who was born in Dallas, Moray, in 1858. One of ten siblings, he emigrated to the US in 1874 aged 15 in search of adventure.
Writer and director Justin Koehler grew up near Philip, South Dakota, a town named after the Scot. “I grew up 20 minutes from that town and I had no idea who Scotty Philip was, which was kind of embarrassing. How could I come from South Dakota and not know who he was?” he said.
“He should be a South Dakota hero, if not a North American hero. But this encouraged me to tackle this story and get it out there the way it should be.”
Working as a labourer, Philip moved from Kansas to the Dakota Territory in the Midwest to look for gold in the Black Hills. When he failed to find his fortune there, Philip moved from job to job. He was a scout in the US army, a ranch hand and a cowboy.
He built up a herd of cattle and settled on a ranch on part of an Indian reservation, which he was only allowed to do as a white man because his wife Sarah was part-Native American. He went on to become a wealthy cattle farmer and a senator.
Koehler said as a schoolboy Philip had won a blindfolded race by fearlessly sprinting for the finishing line. Asked if he had been “peeking”, Philip said: “No, ma’am, I kept the wind in my face.”
“He brought the same attitude here,” Koehler said: “He didn’t care what obstacles he was going to meet, he just went ahead. He just went for it, and it was something that was instilled in him at a young age.”
While he was building his ranch, Philip became involved with the preservation of the buffalo, or American bison. The animals had once roamed the grasslands in massive herds, but a combination of hunting and the introduction of diseases from domestic cattle had driven them to the brink of extinction.
Philip met a rancher called Peter Dupree who had managed to catch five buffalo calves during the last big hunt on the Grand River in 1881. After Dupree’s death, Philip bought his herd for $10,000, the equivalent of $250,000 nowadays.
Koehler said he believed Philip was motivated by outrage at the way the US government had treated Native American tribes. As a soldier he had witnessed the massacres at Wounded Knee and Fort Robinson.
Koehler said: “There are letters he sent back to Scotland in which he says how appalled he was at how the government was treating the Native Americans and what they were putting them through.
“He realised that if you eliminated the buffalo, you eliminated the Native Americans, and that was the mindset of the American government. Scotty could not understand this because he had tremendous respect for the Native Americans.”
He added: “He was just thinking differently from people of that time. In fact, I would say his thinking would be different from most people today.
“If he was alive today, he would be an icon, but he was certainly years ahead of his time.”
In 1901, Philip and his ranchers drove the herd of buffalo, now numbering 50, to a pasture set up specially for them. Through careful management, the herd expanded to almost 1,000 and became the source of stock for numerous national and state parks throughout the US.
Official figures show that the buffalo population was reduced from an estimated figure of 40 million to a low point of just 750 surviving buffalo in 1890, but by 2000 the breed had recovered to 360,000.
Philip’s funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners from all walks of life, following his sudden death aged 53 in 1911 from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Koehler said: “His funeral said it all. It was this huge event. They laid down a track just to get a train to bring out mourners, and the mourners consisted of politicians, because he was a senator; Native Americans; other cattlemen and friends. The diversity of people tells you a lot.”
The documentary has already received critical acclaim on the festival circuit, winning best documentary at the South Dakota Film Festival, as well as opening several other festivals. It has been submitted to the Glasgow Film Festival for inclusion in next year’s programme. See previe of the movie at:
You can learn more about him at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...es/buffalo.htm
END.
And that's it for this week and hope you all have a great weekend and mind and keep your distance, wash your hands and stay safe. Don't be stupid or selfish and instead be considerate of others and wear a mask if going shopping or into a crowded place and consider whether you should indeed go into a crowded space in the first place.
Alastair
Comment