Links Of Interest

Philosophy And Purpose

I have been interested in my family roots for a long time. Before getting serious about exploring my family history, I had heard stories told by elder members of my family. The most prevalent being that of our name being of Scottish origin and once having something like "Mac" on the front.

Once I began to explore these things, I discovered that the old stories weren't very far from the truth at all. The "Mac" on the front of our name was actually "Car" (Carmichael) and we did indeed hail from the Scottish Highlands. While there are still a couple of researchers in the family who are "skeptical" of this, the sources I and others have seen confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that this information is correct.

Everyday, a young family member asks a parent or other member of the family, "Where did we come from?" And everyday, a young person is answered with something similar to, "I don't know. I think we're Irish or something." It is important that future generations be aware of their roots. We can apply the term "roots" in a unique way here. When we look at the Highland surnames MacMichael, Carmichael, and MacGilleMichael, we notice that each of these bear the root surname "Michael." In fact, as is shown by my surname, "Michael" itself has become one of these variations. (Incidentally, had the "Car" on Daniel Carmichael's name not been dropped at immigration, my last name would be, and by all rights should be, Carmichael.) It seems logical then to deduce that a "Michael" family tartan and central genealogical record would be a great move toward preserving our heritage.

Every good society has a mission statement. Taking into account the above, and since this is not a formal, incorporated organization, I would offer this as a basic beginning: To preserve our Scottish heritage for future generations through acknowledgement of a family Tartan and development, centralization and free dissemination of the genealogical record of the Highland surname Michael and its variations.

Clearly, the purpose is not to establish Michael as a separate and distinct Clan. Rather, it enhances our allegiance to Clan Stewart of Appin through a pro-active effort to preserve our own unique history and heritage.

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