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The Clan Currie Society Kicks Off Tartan Week With Fourth Annual Observance of Tartan Day On Ellis Island Society Honors Author/Conservationist John Muir with New Exhibit The Clan Currie Society returned to Ellis Island in April 2005 to host their annual National Tartan Day program in celebration of the emerging holiday recognizing the centuries of Scottish heritage in the United States. For their fourth annual celebration of National Tartan Day on Ellis Island, the Clan Currie Society opened a new exhibition entitled, “The Life and legacy of John Muir – America’s Immigrant Conservationist.” Several hundred thousand visitors are expected to visit the Ellis Island Immigration Museum while the Society’s exhibit is on display making it one of the best attended and longest-running Tartan day events in the country. The festivities began as soon as visitors stepped off the ferry boats to Ellis Island to the sights and sounds of Scotland in the form of bagpipers Steve Fox and Tom Barr and the dancing of The Highland Lassies, Olivia and Kathryn Chrysostom. Upon entering the museum, Tartan Day guests were also treated to still further outstanding entertainment by fiddler Laura McGhee of Angus, Scotland and Celtic vocalist Marta Burton. Robert Currie, president of the Clan Currie Society, gave a brief history of National Tartan Day, which was created by Senate resolution 155 in 1998 as a way to “remember and reflect on the vast contributions of Scots and Scottish Americans.”
“We are honored to be returning to Ellis Island for this annual observance of National Tartan Day which honors one of our nation’s most important Scottish Americans. As the first official event on the incredibly impressive Tartan Week calendar, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to New York. I encourage you to take advantage of all Manhattan has to offer in the days ahead. Currie continued, “We look forward to sharing our exhibit with all those interested in the life of this important contributor to our nation’s conservation movement and “father of our American national parks.” Hilary Boller, curator of the exhibit for the Clan Currie Society, gave a brief address on the importance of honoring Muir. “It is fitting that we celebrate Tartan Day here in this great hall. Ellis Island stands today as the physical embodiment of the immigrant experience, a symbolic representation of the diverse backgrounds and cultures that came together to forge these United States. What better place to celebrate the accomplishments of John Muir, the Scottish-born immigrant conservationist?” Representing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the Hon. Brian Andersson, Commissioner of Records for the City of New York. Andersson read a proclamation from Mayor Bloomberg declaring April 1, 2005 as “John Muir Day on Ellis Island.”
In his proclamation, the Mayor stated, “Today representatives
from the Clan Currie Society, the National Park Service, and the New York
Chapter of the Sierra Club will gather at Ellis Island, the gateway to
America for more than half a million Scots, for the opening of a new exhibit
entitled “The Life and Legacy of John Muir.” The exhibit calls
New Yorkers to reflect upon not only the remarkable life of our nation’s
most famous conservationist, but also upon the positive impact Scottish
immigration has had on all aspects of American life.” Currie also commended the hard work and dedication of the exhibit’s Advisory Panel which included David Blackburn, Chief of Interpretation at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA, Harold Wood, Chairman of the John Muir Education Committee for the Sierra Club of San Francisco, CA as well as members of the Muir family and representatives from the John Muir Birthplace Trust in Dunbar, Scotland, and the John Muir Trust in Edinburgh, Scotland. VisitScotland, Scotland’s Tourist Board and History Associates of Rockville, MD were also recognized for their participation. The Rt. Hon. John Reynolds, Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen led a delegation of Scottish dignitaries and along with Councillor Andrew Patterson, Depute Provost of the Fife Council to officially open the exhibit during the ribbon cutting ceremony.
National Tartan Day Award Recipient is Announced The Clan Currie Society also continued with a new tradition begun in 2004 – the naming of the recipient of annual Tartan Day Award. Bestowed by the Scottish Coalition, a group of national Scottish heritage organizations, the award is presented to “contributors to the recognition of Scottish American values.” The Clan Currie Society has agreed to announce the honoree at the annual National Tartan Day celebrations at Ellis Island.
The 2005 honoree was Ethel Kennedy Ray of Barrington, Illinois. Ethyl Kennedy Ray began publishing The Highlander magazine in 1972 with her husband, Angus J. Ray, Sr. She was The Highlander's Editor-In-Chief for more than 20 years and a dedicated ambassador to the Scottish community, helping to mold the magazine into an important force in connecting the entire Scottish community in North America. She recognized that by providing a needed forum for newly forming Scottish clan societies, Scottish cultural groups, Highland games and other organizations, The Highlander could encourage and foster the growth and development of all things Scottish in North America. In addition to their program on Ellis Island, Clan Currie played an active role in many of the Tartan Week activities; including the annual parade up Sixth Avenue and the highly-popular “Dressed to Kilt” fashion show. The later featuring NBC’s “Today” show news anchor, Ann Curry beautifully dressed in a custom kilt of Currie tartan. The Clan Currie Society did not limit their activities to Manhattan this Tartan Week. “As an international society, we believe we have an obligation to contribute to the Tartan Day experience wherever we can”, said Currie. “For that reason, we made our documentary film available for screenings in Washington, DC and Williamsburg, Virginia. We also coordinated with Acting New Jersey Governor Richard J. Codey to proclaim April 6 as Tartan Day in New Jersey and worked with Congressman, Mike Ferguson to speak about the many contributions of the Scottish people to the country during his Tartan Day remarks in the House of Representatives on April 6.”
Note: The Clan Currie Society is making “The Life and legacy of John Muir” and their other Scottish-themed exhibits and films available for loan to museums and fellow Scottish organizations hosting their own Tartan Day celebrations. Please contact the Society for further details by calling (908) 273-3509. Photos by Warren Westura
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