But the most staggering thing is that I had never heard of most of these people. Or of most of the events. Even the ones after King James VI became James I of England.
Yet at school and university I did courses labelled "British History".
I now realise, most of a century later, that what was sold to me was actually English History.
But a lot of the important political leaders, and leaders in science and innovation, were from Scotland.
Now why did all those brainy people accept without protest that British History was a sham?
Tony Blair or David Cameron for instance.
Now I have no ancestral links to Scotland, so far as I know, but it doesn't take much thinking to see that this is another case of colonialism and oppression. And if you read about Wales you get the same feeling, and I do have some links there.
Perhaps living and breathing in New Zealand, with constant debate about the Treaty, has some universal value, and learning Te Reo might be good for every last NZ child who will grow up to take their place in a global society?
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