Comic About Basque Whalers

This note was published at EiTB:

Basque whalers: heroes as classic as American cowboys

Igor Lansorena

Guillermo Zubiaga, a Basque comic book writer, publishes a comic about the adventures of Joanes, a Basque Whaler.

For Guillermo Zubiaga, a Basque graphic artist living in New York, the Basque whalers represent a heroic age, a "western" period particular to the Basques' own whimsicalness, comparable to the figure of the cowboy to the Americans, the vikings to the Scandinavians or the samurai to the Japanese.

For this reason, it is Guillermo's intention to keep their memory alive "as one of a number of very important symbols" for the Basques when he publishes The Flying Whaleboat, the first episode of a series of 3 comic books featuring the adventures of Joanes, a Basque whaler. "It is my opinion that the figure of the Basque whaler as well as the story behind his more than 3000 mile transatlantic exploits, is worthy of heroic praise," Guillermo says in an exclusive interview for eitb.com.

"One can't help but to wonder what kind of epic poems would had the classic Greco-Romans written would they had the knowledge of such deeds among their own folk," the Basque artist adds.

Guillermo had dreamt ever since college about creating something with a Basque theme specially for the American market. He first considered a compendium of Basque Mythology or conceiving a new take on the battle of Orrega but eventually decided resolutely on the theme of Basque whaling which he discovered through an article in the National Geographic by Selma Huxley.

The Basque comic writer had always been mystified by the whole aspect of the ancient whalers as their memory echoed along the entire Basque coast, reflected in the innumerable coats of arms of many Basque villages. The National Geographic issue confirmed to Zubiaga's mind that the content itself was a jewel when it came down to establishing whaling as a centerpiece of the story-line for a graphic novel. What is more, for Guillermo there was also the disputed early presence of Basques in the Americas which remains shrouded in mystery.

Guillermo finally decided on the name Joanes after the 1584 last will of Joanes de Echaniz, one the oldest written documents in North American history, and because the name is frequently repeated in historical records, Joanes D'Etxeberry's chants "Balearrantzaleen otoitzak," to folklore, Aita Barandiaran's story of the whaler Joanes Balaztena.

Han-Solo from Star Wars and the "Man with no name" played by Eastwood in Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns", two anti-heroes, were willful inspirations for the portrayal of Joanes.

The narration of Joanes the Basque Whaler was conceived as a single story of approximately 100 pages, but Guillermo decided to better adapt it to an American public, in a series of 3 episodes of 32 pages each. He has already finished the first one, The Flying Whaleboat of Joanes, and has already started penciling number two, entitled The Island of the Whales.

Influences

If Guillermo were completely free and had all the means, he would love to create an idea for Marvel of a story with Wolverine, his favorite hero in the American comic book universe. "During 1936-1937 as a combatant in the Spanish Civil War, as a foreign agent; the Canadian international brigades come immediately to mind, in Euskadi, fighting along the Euzko Gudarostea on the iron belt, or liberating Paris with the Gernika Battalion," Guillermo says.

If Zubiaga had to cite some of his influences in terms of his writing and drawing style within the American comic book industry as well as among their European and often south American counterparts, he confesses there are so many he is afraid to leave any out.

"Neal Adams, Mike Mignola, Klaus Janson, Frank Miller, Bernie Wrighston, Pasqual Ferry, Carlos Pacheco, Joe Kubert, Adam Kubert, Jimmy Palmiotti, Adam Pollina, Alan Moore, Dave Cockrum, Scott Lobdell, Will Eisner, Goscinny, Uderzo, Stan Lee, Victor Mora, Francisco Darnís, Jordi Bernet, Horacio Altuna, Milo Manara, Richard Corben, John Byrne, Walter Simonson, and the list truly goes on an on, since there is really a humbling assemble of talent", Guillermo says.

Regarding the authors and works who have had a more direct influence on Joanes the Basque Whaler, Guillermo mentions Second Century A.D. Lucian de Somastata, François Rabelais' Pantagruel, Rudolf Erich Raspe and Gottfried August Bürger's The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and Walt Disney's Pinocchio.

Center of Basque Studies

The comic book will hit the shelves next July 24th at the annual convention of the North American Basque Organizations. It has not been an easy road, though. Since the Basque comic book writer had some contacts in the industry through his professional involvement, he thought he would be able to find an outlet for his work but he was somewhat mistaken.

Most of the comic book editors were not very interested in such an atypical theme. This did not stop Guillermo, who decided to give himself a year's deadline before considering self-publishing. He then met Joseba Etxarri, director of euskalkultura.com, who put him in touch with the University of Nevada and the Center of Basque Studies to participate with the annual NABO in advocating his book as a platform for a new outlook on Basque-American awareness.

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Al Erquiaga

This note was published at EiTB:

Al Erquiaga, a Basque dreamer and doer

Igor Lansorena

Al Erquiaga, born in Boise of Basque heritage, is one of the founders of Boise's successful Basque festival Jaialdi as well as one of the first Oinkari dancers.

Boise, capital city of the state of Idaho, does not have the largest Basque population outside the Basque Country. However, this remote city is home to the most active Basque community of the Diaspora.

Downtown Boise features a vibrant section known as the "Basque block" that includes the Basque Center Euzkaldunak, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, the Gernika bar, the Leku Ona restaurant and hotel and the fronton. We should also not forget the Oinkari Basque dancers, Boiseko Gazteak, the Basque choir, Boiseko Ikastola or the band 'Amuma Says No'.

As Boisean researcher Gloria Totorikagüena describes in her book Boise Basques, the Basque community is full of "dreamers and doers", men and women who at some point decided to build a small Basque Country in this little-known place. Al Erquiaga, born in Boise, is one of those dreamers and doers who helped to lay the foundations of today's successful Basque community.

Born in Boise, Al's father came to the United States from the Bizkaian village of Ispaster in 1920. Like many other Basques, he had a relative who had already migrated to the United States - an older brother was here - and he knew he had no future in the Basque Country as his eldest brother was going to inherit the family farmhouse.

"It was hard work, but he never complained about it. He came in 1920 the first time and married my mother in 1934. I was born in 1935. And he herded sheep until after I was born, even after they were married for a year", Al says in an exclusive interview for eitb.com in Boise. "It was hard work and he realized it was no work for a family, of course, so then he went into farming", Al adds.

Raised on a farm, Al was brought up among Basque farmers and stories of the Basque Country. "We had a lot of Basque friends, other farmers, and when they were over to visit, it would be late in the evening, I would sit and listen to them talk. I liked to hear them tell their stories, about here or back home, I really enjoyed the stories", Al remembers.

Cultural phenomenon

In 1960, Al, and another seven Boise Basques, toured Europe for three weeks and then stayed in the Basque Country for almost two months. There, they met the Oinkari dancers from Donostia-San Sebastian. "We became very good friends with them. We went to their rehearsals, they taught us dances and (we) went touring with them in France," Al says.

"The best thing you can do is to go back to America and start a dance group called Oinkaris", the Basque dancers told Al and his seven friends. "On the way home we talked on the airplane about doing it, we got back home and said, let's do it," Al says.

And that is how the Oinkari Basque dancers from Boise were born. Nearly half a century later, they are part of Basque-American heritage and more than 800 people have performed not only in Boise or Idaho but also in many places all over the United States and the Basque Country.

Holiday Basque Festival

Nobody thought that the Oinkaris would grow to become the cultural phenomenon they are now. Neither did they when they started NABO, a federation of North American Basque Organizations that sustain Basque culture.

In the early 1970s, Al was member of the board of an organization called the Basque Studies Center, which organized a Holyday Basque festival thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Al, who was among the organizers of the festival, realized he was having a hard time contacting other Basque clubs in the United States.

"The problem that we run into was that we wanted everybody in the United States to know about it but we did not know anyone's names or contacts. The hardest part is we couldn't get hold of anybody, there was no communication. We need an organization, some ways to communicate," Al recounts.

"We met in Reno. We contacted three clubs of Reno, San Francisco, Bakersfield, seven or eight clubs. We got together, and that is how NABO was started," Al adds.

Jaialdi

Jaialdi, the international Basque festival held in Boise every five years, was also born out of the dreams of Al Erquiaga. Having met Jokin Intxausti from the Basque Government at a NABO meeting in 1985, they came up with the possibility of producing an international festival to promote Basque culture. Two years later it was a reality.

More than 500 volunteers worked on the first Jaialdi. Significant numbers of members from the Basque Diaspora attended and the festival was a great success. Since then, the Jaialdi is held every five years and thousands of Basques and non-Basques meet in Boise in this celebration of Basque culture, probably a source of inspiration for many other dreamers and doers just like Al Erquiaga.

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An Invitation to Visit Nabarra

This information was posted at the Sierra Mountain Times:

Discover the Cultural Riches of Spain’s Basque Country

This summer, Columbia College is again offering a unique opportunity to get an insider’s view of the colorful culture, art and history of the Basque Country of north central Spain. Located to the west of the Pyrenees along the Bay of Biscay, the region is rich in its Basque, Gothic and Roman heritage.

Based at Vitoria-Gasteiz, the seat of the Basque Parliament, those interested in going on the trip will attend the Zador Institute, an accredited school of Spanish language where classes will be taught by certified native teachers for four hours per day, five days a week in classrooms and neighborhood settings. Their website is located at www.zadorspain.com. Travelers will stay with Spanish families for a total language immersion experience. Of course, participants will also earn a total of six units of credit from Columbia College: three in conversational Spanish 10A, 10B, 20A or 20B – depending on initial assessed level of proficiency – and three in humanities (old world culture), taught by local expert, Dr. Susan Still.

Afternoon activities and field trips with Spanish-speaking guides will include city tours, art and history museum visits, bike tours, dining at typical Basque tapas bars and restaurants, and cider house samplings, as well as day trips to an ancient Roman saltworks, nearby lakes and a nature park.

Vitoria has a population of about 200,000 and with its excellent train and bus transportation and central location, excursion destinations are never more than an hour or so away. On weekends, tours are planned with Spanish-speaking guides to Pamplona in Navarra, the medieval walled city of LaGuardia, the La Rioja wine region and Alavese fishing villages. Students will also see Spain’s most famous Gothic cathedral in beautiful Burgos, the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art in Bilbao and the inviting beach city of San Sebastian.

The two-week program begins on June 6, with an optional third week. The approximate cost for the two-week program is $2,900, and $850 for the additional week. This covers tuition, classes, airport transfers, home stay, meals, excursions and insurance – airfare is not included.

Columbia College Spanish Instructor Vonna Breeze-Martin is coordinating the program and is again leading the Basque Country visit. “It is so enlightening and inspiring to see how another culture views the world,” she said. “The Basque cities are modern, clean, prosperous and environmentally-friendly places, steeped in history dating back to the Bronze Age. Vitoria, for instance, boasts of its bike paths (and free bikes for loan); green spaces and parks that are among the highest per capita in Europe; walking paths; mall routes; a restored medieval quarter and excellent public transportation. And if you’ve ever had an opportunity to enjoy a Basque meal here in the U.S., you know what a real treat is waiting for you in Pais Vasco!”

Despite the title and the insistence in calling the Basques by the term Spanish, this article has some redeeming qualities. Is good to learn than more and more people are identifying not only the Basque Autonomous Community as the Basque Country but also Navarre and even Rioja (Errioxa). This means that people are recognizing the cultural identity of once sovereign and independent Nabarra.

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Learning to Play Mus

This article was published at The Buffalo Bulletin:

Calling a spade an espada

Preserving a tradition is in the cards for Mus players
Grant Smith

Last Sunday something important was happening.

As decks of cards were cut and idle chatter filled the Catholic church’s recreation hall, it was difficult to see the event as anything more than a typical afternoon gathering.

But like a slow drifting evening fog, Basque words began to fill the room, and it became apparent that it wasn’t just another church card tournament.

It was a continuation of a deeply cherished tradition.

“A lot of our players are dying off, it has been over a century since the Basque people started coming to Buffalo and we’re beginning to be stirred right into the melting pot,” stated Big Horn Basque Club member Mick Camino. “I think it’s very important for people to learn the game of Mus. The Basque government highly encourages us to promote all aspects of the Basque Culture and we basically have a directive to pass it on, and also it’s a great way to spend time with family.”

The Basque card game Mus is more than an important tool for promoting the culture, it’s a fun and easy game to learn.

Incorporating the traditional language into the game, players learn Basque numbers and simple phrases, while experiencing first-hand a favored pastime of their sheepherding ancestors.

Taking a break from the action, several storied Mus players weighed in with tips on the nuances of the game, noting that a full explanation of the rules can be obtained easily over the Internet or by contacting Camino with the Big Horn Basque Club at 217-1575.

Starting out

“It’s a really easy game to learn,” noted Camino who has been playing for more than 20 years. “It’s just like learning a board game but the great thing about it is that no matter how far down you are, you still have a chance to bet the entire game and win.”

The game is played with four players making two teams and a special Mus deck that can be obtained at a Basque tournament or by contacting Camino.

For someone just starting out, club member Daniel Escoz recommends contacting the club to find out about local tournaments or instructional events.

“Back in December, we had a gathering at the VFW that featured Basque dancers and they taught Mus,” noted Escoz. “Currently we are trying to organize a group of kids to get together and learn how to play.”

As far as the best way to be introduced into the game Camino and Escoz are split.

“The game is not difficult at all to learn if you learn it in English,” noted Camino who learned the game that way at a North American Basque Organization music camp. “It takes some patience and for someone just starting out they don’t need to know all the ins and outs like facial signals and such.”

Escoz prefers the full immersion method.

“I learned Mus about 20 years ago from my dad in the sheep camps,” he stated. “I think it’s easier just to learn it in full with the Basque terms so that you’re playing it right, and you just get it all done with at once.”

Picking a partner

For Mick Camino and his partner Jason Camino, a good balance is what they seek when choosing their teammate.

“I would classify myself as a little more of a wild player, I take more chances, where as Mick is more conservative,” noted Jason. “I think that balance helps make us a good team.”

Mick agrees.

“Really what makes a good partner is someone who gets good cards all the time,” he noted. “But if you can’t find that, you want someone that is not going to make the big mistakes like betting the whole game when they don’t have the cards to do it. It really helps to have someone that plays a little different from your style just to keep your opponents on their toes.”

Bluffing

While it always helps to have a pat hand, fate might not fall in your favor. In such a case, there is always the opportunity to bluff your way to a win.

“Bluffing is a pretty big part of the game,” explained Jason. “If I don’t have a good hand but come out pretty strong I might bluff the other team to fold, but sometimes it can backfire on you.”

Mick uses his conservative style to make his bluffs more believable.

“I really don’t like to do it that often, so that when I do they think I’m telling the truth,” Mick stated.

Escoz is on the other side of the spectrum from Mick.

“I bluff every chance I get,” he stated. “It’s just a matter of having a good poker face.”

Giving the sign:

You can communicate with your partner about your hand via facial signals — or kenuak — throughout the game. The only problem is the signals are fixed the same for everyone and open for your opponent to steal.

“That’s when it helps to have a really heady uncle for a partner like Mick,” Jason said. “He knows what’s going on at the table and is good about giving a single when it is necessary.”

“If I have a high hand or a low hand I can give my partner a signal to let him know what I’m playing with,” noted Mick. “You really only want to use them if you can sneak it by your opponent. There’s a time to use it and a time to not. But you can never lie on the signal to try and throw off your opponent.”

Caminos claim local Mus title

On Sunday, Feb. 9, the annual Big Horn Basque Mus Tournament was held featuring eight teams of two players competing in an elimination style contest lasting well into the evening.

“This card tournament is sponsored by the North American Basque Organization,” noted a press release issued by the Big Horn Basque Club. “The game, unique to the Basque people has a list of official rules. Rule number one is that during the game a player may speak with his partner, may ask his partner any question and may answer any question as he sees fit — whether those answers be truthful or not.”

The winning team on Sunday was made up of Mick Camino and Jason Camino who have the opportunity to travel to Chino, Calif., to compete in the national tournament in July.

In the youth bracket, Baileigh Rodriguez and Tommy Fieldgrove beat out Ana Fieldgrove and Micheala Rodriguez.

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Support the Independence of Euskal Herria

The pro-Basque independence blog "Ants' Meat" has issued a call to support this initiative:

“The Basque Country or Euskal Herria, a nation constituted by the provinces of Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Lapurdi, Nafarroa, Nafarroa Beherea, and Zuberoa, has the same right to become a united and independent state as any other nation. The North American Basque Organizations will consequently work actively to promote the right of the Basque people to achieve the goal of independence if this is the will of the majority of the population of Euskal Herria.”

Ants’ Meet is seeking your support regarding the proposal. Please voice your opinions and distribute this post.

He's got my support.

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NABO's Basque Region

Thanks to the blog Ant's Meat and the post "To Basque Amerika", I found out about the strangest thing, NABO (North American Basque Organizations) has issued a declaration regarding the now inexistent referendum initiative called by Juan Jose Ibarretxe, the statement is in support of the initiative, if you want to read it follow this link:

Declaration Proposal

Until now NABO had been suspiciously silent about the political situation in Euskal Herria, that is why I agree with the comment by Jon, specially this part:

If NABO’s role if going to be political from now on, we cannot reduce our perspective to only one side of the spectrum. So, when is NABO going to sign a declaration in favor of the repatriation of Basque political prisoners and exiles? When is NABO going to sign a declaration against banning Basque political parties? When is NABO going to sign a declaration against the practice of torture in Spain?

And how about this map posted by NABO?

Not even the anti-Basque crowd would dare to post a map of Euskal Herria that shows but a sliver of the entire territory.

After the Idaho Memorial, Basques around the world had always been hopeful that the Basque community in the USA would finally wake up and start applying some pressure to their government in behalf of the right of Euskal Herria to its independence. When they finally say something through NABO is to support an initiative that amounts to a revamped political status between Gazteiz and Madrid that ensures the PNV members will continue to milk the cow.

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A Basque Winnemucca

Winnemucca.

For many of you this may be the first time you read that word. It is the name of a town in Nevada. Happens to be that it is also home to a quite active Basque community.

This note appeared today at EITb:

Basque Americans

NABO Annual Convention kicks off in Winnemucca

06/07/2007

Every year since 1979 one of the member clubs hosts the NABO Convention meeting which is usually the largest annual gathering of Basque-Americans. This year the meeting will be hold at Winnemucca, Nevada.

From Friday, June 8, to Sunday, NABO will hold its Annual Convention in Winnemucca, hosted by the Euskaldunak Danak Bat Basque Club.

Every year since 1979 one of the NABO member clubs hosts the Convention meeting which is usually the largest annual gathering of Basque-Americans.

While the NABO Convention kicks off on June 8, at the Winnemucca Convention Center. Several activities are scheduled on Friday, including mus tournaments, the exhibition Making West Home: A Basque Journey by photographer Linda Dufurrena, concerts by the Boise accordion group Txantxangorriak, Jean Flesher on accordion and a performance by the Winnemucca Irrintzi Beginner dancers, as well as a concert by Luhartz, a band from Durango (Bizkaia, Basque Country).

On Saturday morning a great parade through the streets of the town will take place, followed by the inauguration ceremony with performances by Jean Flesher Band and Noka. In the afternoon there will an exhibition of Basque sports and contest and the day will end with dance performances and music of Jean Flesher Band, Luhartz and the local band What’s Next.

On Sunday father Martxel Tillous will celebrate a mass at the West Hall, followed by performances of Txantxangorriak and Noka. A delicious Basque meal will be served at midday. The Convention closes in the afternoon with dance perfomances, jota contests, junior weight carry and junior soka-tira contests.

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Building Bridges

This article comes to us thanks to EITb:

IV World Congress of Basque Communities to take place in Bilbao

Under the motto Zubigintzan (Building Bridges), the IV World Congress of Basque Communities will gather for the first time in Bilbao representatives of the Basques abroad from July 9 to July 13, 2007.

The Basque Government, through the Directorate for Relations with Basque Communities, is organizing the IV World Congress that, under the motto of Zubigintzan (Building Bridges) will gather for the first time in Bilbao, representatives of the Basques abroad from July 9 to July 13, 2007.

As stated in Law 8/1994, every four years a World Congress will be held in order to promote the encounter and relations among the Basque Clubs and Communities (NABO, FEVA,...) and the Basque institutions. Three representatives from each country with a registered Federation of Basque Clubs, or from countries without a Federation but registered Basque Clubs will be attending as full right members. Up to now, three Congresses have been celebrated.

This IV Congress, under the motto Zubigintzan, will try to promote and open new communication ways among individuals, associations, companies and governments, building bridges in many different directions with the main goal of narrowing the distance between the Basque Country and its diaspora.

A document of conclusions will be written based on the deliberations of the Congress. These conclusions will be read before the Advisory Board of Basque Communities, for their consideration while elaborating the Four Year Institutional Action Plan 2008-2011.

All participants of the IV Congress of Basque Communities will have to fill the application form with their personal data before May the 10th, 2007. The three representatives of the countries with officially registered Basque Clubs will be the full right members of the Congress, as well as the special guests of the Lehendakari and the speakers.

The full program can be found on the website of the Basque Government.

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Honoring Karanka

This note about Aitor Karanka comes to us thanks to EITb:

Colorado Euskal Etxea

Celebrate Basque Heritage Night in Honor of Aitor Karanka

08/11/2006

The Colorado Rapids have announced that the game against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, will be the date for the first Rapids Basque Heritage Night in honor of Rapids defender Aitor Karanka.

In honor of defender Aitor Karanka, originally from Vitoria-Gasteiz, fans can immerse themselves in the culture of the Basque region in the Rapids Basque Village before the game from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Legends Mall. There will be booths with Basque merchandise, information on local Basque clubs, and a photo exhibit of Basque regions. Fans can also enjoy the unique sights of Basque dancers while listening to authentic music from the Basque country. The Buenos Aires Grill will be serving Basque food in the Village to give the night an authentic feel, and there will also be drink specials in the Rapids Beer Garden from 5:30-7:30pm.

At halftime, fans can enjoy an authentic Basque welcome for Karanka, when a short dance in his honor is performed and he is welcomed by the head of the North American Basque Organizations (NABO).

There will be a Basque-specific section close to the field and seats are still available for $10, which includes a red bandana courtesy of the Basque Night Official Sponsors: the Spring International Learning Center, and the Colorado Euskal Etxea. Also, for all Basque section fans, there will be a meet-and-greet with Karanka after the game where fans can ask questions and get autographs from the former Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid star. For more information on the Rapids’ inaugural Basque Heritage Night, group ticket information, or to find out how your organization can participate in the Basque Village, go to www.coloradorapids.com.

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EITb: Politics, Udaleku and NABO

Here you have today's three news reports by EITb:

Basque premier: "Talking politics is parties' job"

The Basque premier, Juan José Ibarretxe, has shown his conviction that citizens' will is to live in peace, and that will be true in the future. Furthermore, he has affirmed that talking politics is parties' job.

Ibarretxe made these statements in the Alavan town of Alegria-Dulantzi, where he inaugurated the exhibition "Rural Euskadi, 21st Century." The Basque premier refused to give his opinion on the contents of ETA's interview, since the regional administration will reveal its stance Tuesday after the Government council meeting.

Elko's Euzkaldunak Basque Club hosts Udaleku 2006

Elko, Nevada is the setting for Udaleku 2006. The camp will begin with registration at Elko's Euskal Etxea on June 18th and will continue through June 30th with a farewell performance. Bob Echeverria is the local director in charge of all housing arrangements, as well as assisting instructors with the daily class schedule and activities, while John and Jenny Ysursa are heading up an incredible team of instructors including many from the Basque Country.

During the two weeks, campers are separated into 8 groups representing the Basque Country's 7 traditional Basque regions and the diaspora. They attend various sessions every day including Basque language, music, sports, and cuisine, making friends while they are at it. This year's Udaleku is limited to 70 youth. Camp participants must be between the ages of 10 and 15, and cost of the camp is $250 which includes all room and board, as well as any extra-curricular activities during the two weeks. Applications are available at www.basqueclubs.com, click on Udaleku.

The Big Horn Basque Club hosts NABO's 2006 convention

Hosting a NABO convention can be overwhelming for any Basque club, but the idea seems almost impossible for a club the size of Buffalo's. Coming in just shy of 200 members the club has been working for over two years to plan this year's NABO convention. After successfully hosting two other conventions, 1988 and 1995, the city of Buffalo was really the force behind bringing the festivities back to Northeastern Wyoming.

The city has offered assistance financially, but has also volunteered its police, parks and recreation crews, as well as urged local citizens to become involved to guarantee the success of this year's event.

Besides the many traditional Basque festival offerings, this year's convention in Buffalo also includes some unique activities. Tapia and Leturia, renowned Basque artists will give a concert on Thursday night July 20th. On Saturday July 22nd there will be a parade through downtown featuring sheepwagons driven by the many Basque families that came to the community as sheepherders.

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A Link to Bakersfield

Last year I was lucky enough to visit Bakersfield in the sister Republic of California during the NABO (North American Basque Organizations) convention.

It was a great time, the Kern County Basque Club facilities were the perfect set up for an event that attracted thousands of people, both Basques and non-Basques.

Just yesterday The Fresno Bee published an article by Diana Marcum with quite a long title:

"Stick-to-the-ribs food and no messing around are the bylaws at the Basque Hotel boarders' table, where generations of farmers wait to earn a seat."

There's only one old Basco shepherd staying in the boarding rooms upstairs, and only for a few days on his way to Bakersfield.

He's retired, among the last of the last, and will soon be gone.

But the long boarders' table at the red-brick Basque Hotel in downtown Fresno lives on. The table that once fed Basque shepherds who lived upstairs is now a decades-long gathering place for farmers from the west side.

Built in 1924, the hotel is a sturdy landmark — and tradition — on the edge of Chinatown, a neglected part of Fresno that the city and developers are targeting for a make-over.

By 11:30 a.m. every weekday but Monday, the dirt parking lot across the street fills with white pickup trucks — the farmer and retired farmer vehicle of choice. The bar, dusky with swiveling stools, is two-deep with men drinking picon punch (three-deep if it's raining or spareribs are being served). Don't let the innocuous term "punch" fool you, it's a heady-at-first-whiff brandy mixture in those bar glasses Fermin Urroz keeps refilling.

....

The Basque Hotel wasn't a Basque hotel for about eight years in the 1970s. A farm contractor housed workers upstairs and ran a bar and Mexican restaurant downstairs. The red brick was painted over with murals. The bar got a reputation as a rough place and drew a lot of attention from law enforcement. It closed, the workers left, and the building sat vacant.

Fermin Urroz wanted the place because "it was a Basque hotel. It should be a Basque place."

Thousands of men from the Basque region of France and Spain migrated to the United States during the Gold Rush and headed to the open range. Boarding houses with restaurants sprang up to serve the Basque workers, becoming a distinctive part of Western culture.

Another wave of Basque immigration began in the 1950s, when there was a shortage of labor in the sheep industry and Congress increased quotas for Spanish immigrants. But by the late '60s, the European economy improved and Basque immigration dwindled. Today, many of the Basque hotels have shuttered or become touristy spots owned by non-Basque.

Fermin Urroz came from Spain in the early '60s and spent 5 1/2 years as a shepherd. He sometimes lived at the Santa Fe, another old Basque hotel in Fresno.

Well, this comes handy now that I announce reciprocal linkage with a blog called "Who Are You to Accuse Me?", published by Philippe Duhart, a fellow Basque from Bakersfield.

As it happen, both his family and mine came from Iparralde, the Northern Basque Country.

I hope I can go back to Bakersfield soon, eating a couple of meals at Benji's and Wool Growers were highlights of that trip, although the rack of lamb we ate that Sunday was to die for.

Nik (Heart) Bakersfield.

*You can also read the entire article at Artxiboak.

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Jon Gets Published

I just got this via email from my friend Jon whom I met during the Jaialdi in Boise earlier this year:

I wanted to let you know about something exciting that's happened. I've had a series of pictures from the Jaialdi Basque Festival (in Boise this Summer) published in a French Magazine called "Pays Basque". All of the photos (except 1) are mine and I got a nice 4-page spread & photo credit. I luckily was traveling in Europe for work and able to get a copy. I hadn't previously heard if they were accepted, so I was quite excited to see they made it in!

I've attached some photos of the pages (as I'm on the road & don't have a scanner).

If you haven't seen the full album, it's here.

Some other exciting things are in the works for these photos, I'll keep you posted when they happen.

(Thanks for letting me self-promote)

Take care,

Jon

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USA's Basque Summer

Next week I am off to Boise for the Jaialdi.

Now, last week there was a couple of articles in the US media in regards of both the above mentioned Jaialdi which is the biggest festival for the Basque community and which takes place every five years, and the NABO meeting in Rock Springs last weekend.

Here you have them:

Basques celebrate cultural heritage, via Green River Star Online.

The North American Basque Organizations had its fifth cultural festival on July 15-17, in Rock Springs.

The opening ceremonies began with a parade featuring the Zaharrer Segi, Buffalo, the Zazpiak Bat Klika, San Francisco, and students from the San Fermin Ikastola, Pamplona, Spain.

Basque people from all over the world attended this festival. There were delegates from each city with a Basque organization.
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"The Basque people had nothing they could call there own," commented Jonathon Argoitia from Salt Lake City. "My Dad's family lived in the upper floor of the house and they kept the animals on the lower floor.

"The Basque Festival is the opportunity for people with a unique ethnic background to get together for a taste of home.Sharing the old stories of experiences in the wilderness of a strange land and keeping the culture alive. That's what its all about.

Dunak Euskaldunak-we're all Basque today.

Basques in Boise ready to celebrate, via The Olympian.

Starting next week, Aldape and around 35,000 other people, some Basque by birth, some "Basque" for only a few hours, will celebrate the traditions of the ethnic minority at Jaialdi, or "Big Festival." The five-day party, which occurs once every five years, begins July 27 and includes traditional sports and cultural events including folk dancing, historical presentations and religious services for the largely Catholic Basque community.

Much of the world familiar with Basques knows of the group known by its acronym ETA, whose members have killed more than 850 persons and injured hundreds of others since it began attacks aimed at the Spanish government in the early 1960s. The Jaialdi festival doubles as an outreach effort to show that Basque culture runs deeper than just three letters.

Let me copy and modify a line from my Irish friends. Ready?

Kiss me, I'm Basque.

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Hizketa and the Trib

The Webshell at Angelfire is not working, so, this post looks a little cryptic because is missing the pics I wanted to post, anyway, the North American Basque Organization has acknowledge the labour of love by the International Basque Organization for Human Rights by printing the letter to the Chicago Tribune in which it is requested from the news outlet to stop swaping the terms "Basques" and "terrorists".

You can visit the NABO site and look for the Newsletter/Hizketa link.

Once there all you have to do is go to Page 2, by the way, do you remember when I told you about the special relationship between the Basques and the Irish? Well, the relationship just got a little bit more "cozy" and you can read about it on the same page.

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Arriving on SFO

So, I make it to San Francisco after one scary landing where we couldn't see the airport due to the fog (Phillippe tells me that you approach the airport from the bay so you never really get to see the strip until you touch down) I finally manage to get off the plane after the 589 passengers in front of me.

I was happy as a kid in a candy store, I bought some postcards in the airport to play it safe (some already made it to their destination) and after getting lost in the airport I finally got to the place where you can board the shuttles to the hotels, the Comfort Suites in this case had the honor of hosting the NABO delegates.

I am looking forward to meet my friend Susan so I do not put too much attention to the people around me till the girl behind me says something in spanish, but I keep quiet, heck, I am in California, I have to spect some spanish spoken in my vecinity. But then as we are about to pick up more people the two girls behind me burst in rejoiced surprise and start telling the fella with them that Gloria is there, and I turn aroun to see Gloria and from the moment I see her I know who she is, she is one of the main reasons why I ran like a daredevil through gate B at O'Hare, but I wait till she seats down and talks for a little while with the one fella before I ask one of the girls behind me it the lady in fact is Gloria Totoricaguena, and she says that yes, that is who she is.

I get up and sit closer to her and introduce myself, Gloria Totoricagüena is the "know everything about the Basques in the Diaspora" and I tell her that I am honored to shake her hand, she then procedes to ask me who the hell I am before she calls 911 and the moment I tell her who I am she tells me that I am one of Cathleen's friends (you better get use to those good all Basque surnames) and that she know all about us and that she is glad to be able to finally meet us, then she introduces me to the fella, Martin Goikoetxea and the girls who go by the names of Inazia and Amaia (next time a castillian says that the basque girls are ugly he can kiss my bootie).

I talked to Gloria and Martin all the way from the airport to the hotel and we made arrengements to meet later. I then meet my friend Susan and after leaving my stuff in the room we go over to the Basque Cultural Center that happened to be packed since it was Balendin Eguna (Valentine's Day for you all). There we met a bunch of people while drinking red wine and eating crusty bread and assorted cheeses. Soon the party began and after Francois Bedaurreta introduced himself to me and then introduced me to the rest of the other Basque "elders" at the bar the red wine started flowing quite freely, so I am not sure who called a cab for me but I went to the hotel to get some rest.

Tomorrow, "The NABO meeting".

Don't you dare miss it.

Bakea eta Osasuna!

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Basque Archelogical Site in California

Yes indeed, believe it or not.

Well, maybe you should know that Basques were roaming the American West at least a hundred years before the fundamentalist religious maniacs that got on board of the Mayflower even dreamed of going to America to dine on stuffed turkey and sweet potatoes.

But this is not that old.

Just in case you want more info about this topic, here you have it:

Sheep Camp Restorations

Whisky Creek Sheep Camp

Located in the Granite Chief Wilderness area of Tahoe National Forest, California, the Whiskey Creek Sheep Camp consists of two beautiful log cabins and an outdoor bread oven. The cabins were built in 1954-55 by Severino Ibarra (Nafarroa) and Pete Bengoetxea (Bizkaia). The bread oven was constructed by Valerio Zubiri (Nafarroa).

In accordance with certain laws governing wilderness areas, the camp was slated to be demolished. However, Tahoe archaeologists Carmel Miesenbach and Susan Rose took up the cause of the camp. Historian Jose Mallea wrote an evaluation of the camp’s significance, and Rose presented the case to the California State Historical Preservation Office. To make a long story short, the camp was declared historically significant and became eligible for federal protection.

In the summer of 1992 a crew from Euskal Telebista, the Basque television station, joined Mallea and archaeologists Richard Markley and Carrie Smith for the 3.5 hour hike to the camp. The interview recorded there was later aired in Euskadi.

The camp was in need of restoration and caretaking. A large tree had fallen across the roof of one cabin, and the lower cabin logs were rotting and needed to be replaced. The Forest Service wondered if the Basque community would volunteer to help with repairs and future upkeep of the site. Jose Mallea acted as an intermediary between the Forest Service and North American Basque Organizations (NABO) representative Jesús Pedroarena, and after months of negotiations, in the spring of 1994, Bob Echeverria, President of NABO, signed an agreement with the Tahoe National Forest Service to formalize the relationship.

Wheeler Sheep Camp

The completion of the restoration of the oven at the Wheeler Sheep Camp in Kyburz Flat, Tahoe National Forest in 1993, meant the preservation of another piece of Basque history in the West. The effort began in 1992 when Michael Baldrica, archaeologist for the Tahoe National Forest approached Jose Mallea with the idea for the restoration. Mallea took the project on, along with volunteers Javier Cillero, Erik Mallea, Analiese and Kirk Odenkranz, Abel and Judy Mendegia, Marc Ugalde, David Grippo and others. Forest Service personnel also participated in the project.

Martin Gallues ran the camp from around 1915 into the 1950s, and dozens of other Basque herders worked there from the turn of the century to the 1970s. They carved their names and the dates of their stay on the trunks of the aspen trees in nearby groves.

Wheeler Sheep Camp is now a Special Events Picnic Area and eventually it will be equipped with restrooms, running water, and similar amenities. The oven is a “working oven,” and civic groups may reserve it for a fee. Several events have taken place there, including a picnic and barbecue for Forest Service personnel, various speeches, and an exhibition of Basque dancing by the Zenbat Gara cultural organization of the University of Nevada. If your group wishes to reserve the picnic area for an event, call the Forest Service in Sierraville, California (phone: 916-994-3401).

(Professor Jose Mallea is currently working to create a videotape and photographic record of carvings left by Basque sheepherders on aspen trees in the American West. Mallea’s research has meant that records left by sheepherders in the Cottonwood Creek area were saved for posterity before those groves were destroyed in the Cottonwood fire of August 1993. He has also completed research in an area to the east of Lake Tahoe where logging has begun. Mallea also travels the West giving lectures and slide shows about the aspen tree carvings.)

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