A Pact Against the Pro-Independence Left

Just yesterday the president of the Basque province of Nafarroa, Miguel Sanz, announced a new political pact with the Navarre Socialist Party (the PSN, a satellite of Spain's ruling party) that, at first glance, constitutes flagrant evidence that is nothing more that a call to act against the Basque pro-independence left in every single possible way, including the displays of solidarity towards the Basque activist suffering political persecution. Trying to emulate the "change" enforced by Francisco Javier López in the Basque Autonomous Community, the pact includes threats against the political parties that fail to show open support for the State's armed and police forces.

All what Sanz needed to do was to seat down and wait for the Socialist government in Gasteiz to set the pace against the pro-independence left, yesterday was the day for him to announce that his government would promote along with the PSN "a great political and social pact in favor of freedom, coexistence and democracy" with the specific goal of "reducing any room available to impunity" in the public sphere. Regarding "impunity", Sanz referred to the pro-independence left being in charge of kick starting the festivities in Berriozar.

Despite the fact that during their meeting at the beginning of summer both Miguel Sanz and Francisco Javier López insisted about the differentiated identity of Nafarroa as opposed to the Basque Autonomous Community, when it comes to the pro-independence left this difference gets blurry. The PSOE, presiding the government in Gasteiz and maintaining the one in Nafarroa propped up, is in fact calling the shots regarding the line of action for Hegoalde.

Sanz spoke about the pact with the pSN during a press conference, just after celebrating the firs session of the Navarrese executive. He pointed out the the core issues of the pact have been adressed through the dialogue between himself and representatives of the PSN. "This is about reducing the room to impunity in the institutional sphere, during festive and cultural acts, in public spaces and such that the terrorists use to expand the criminal activities and berate both their victims and the government officials democratically elected". He then went on to criticize the opening ceremony in the Berriozar festivities because the person in charge of hosting the event is a pro-independence mayor (displaying his selective memory, Sanz forgot to mention that he was too democratically elected), and that during the txupin (a firework that is launched to signal the start of the festivities) a banner in support of bringing home the Basque political prisoners was prominently displayed.

In the political sphere, the pact will be enforced by avoiding to reach institutional agreements with "outlawed" political formations and with political parties "that refuse to firmly denounce ETA's violence or fail to support the institutions that conform the State, like the military and police forces. In doing so, Sanz directed a warning against Nafarroa Bai after the verbal brawl carried out in Iruñea in the aftermath of the attacks in Mallorca and Burgos when Aralar criticized the partisan nature of the "condemnations". Soon after Nafarroa Bai accused the ultra-conservative (the UPN is a satellite party of Spain's PP) government of using the announcement of "a pact that is a throwback to fascism in order to create a smoke curtain around the failed economic policies". The spokes person for NaBai, Maiorga Ramírez, disqualified the pact because its goal is to exclude "anyone that those not share the UPN's postulates", stating that in his opinion, "an authentic pact regarding coexistence and democracy must first acknowledge, respect and advance an stage that provides freedom of expression that ensures the development of plurality within Nafarroa". Ramíres also criticized the PSN due to the fact that with this new proposal "once again it surrenders to the postulates of the extreme right that consider that those who do not comply with their ideals must be excluded from the political sphere".

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Running With the Hemingways

Sanfermines, the main festivity in the Basque country which takes place the second week of July in the capital city of Iruñea (known also as Pamplona) and the iconic US writer Ernest Hemingway will be forever some sort of symbiotic entities.

Regarding this connection between the Sanfermines and Hemingway we strongly recommend that you read the book "San Fermingway" by Mundaka's writer Edorta Jimenez, in the mean time we leave you with this article published at the Irish Times:

Hemingways give the bulls a good run for their money

John Fleming

PAMPLONA LETTER: Some bearded gents compete to get in character. Oh and the sun also rises

HERE THEY come running and snorting, muscular and well-fed, thundering through the cobbled streets of Pamplona. Most are sure-footed but others slump heavily against the cordoning walls of the Basque town. While some have bull necks, these guys also have beards and many have American accents.

Coiffured and growling in voices laced with cigar smoke, they came just in advance of the week-long San Fermin festival with its bull run taking place at 8am each day. They have a specific purpose apart from running with the bulls or observing them from safety. One and all, they are here in Pamplona for the first international Ernest Hemingway lookalike competition.

The manly gun-loving bull-idolatrist writer was part of a coterie of Americans whose reverse voyage of discovery to the old world led them to a rediscovery of Spain in the first half of the 20th century.

Holed up in the Navarra capital’s old city, Illinois-born Hemingway wrote the textbook on bull running and fighting. Revering it as a spectacle of blood and lust and soft machismo, he was a literary anthropologist firing a blunderbuss of adjectives into noble savages (bull and man), much in the way Robert Flaherty framed Irish islanders in Man of Aran in 1934.

But Hemingway was a participant observer, living among the peasants. He was drawn to visit Pamplona on nine occasions starting in 1923, staying for the most part in the Hotel Perla.

In the main square, Plaza del Castillo, under a long arcade, like many a writer the world over, he sat and drank and stared at the sinking sun. His novel The Sun Also Rises appeared in 1926, putting the town of Pamplona and its reverence of the bull on the international map.

In 1957, four years before he died, Hollywood made a film of the novel, shooting it on location in Pamplona with Errol Flynn and Ava Gardner and projecting the city firmly into the world’s consciousness. His favourite bar in the plaza now bears his name and is the focus of this impersonator competition held a half-century on from his last visit.

Hemingway liked to nurse a drink. It can seem difficult to find a bar in any touristy quarter anywhere that does not proclaim him as one of its more famous frequenters. The man’s fondness for spreading his custom is often mocked – be it by a bar on Plaza Santa Ana in Madrid that guarantees its clients they are in the one bar where Hemingway certainly did not drink. Or here in Pamplona, where a “Hemingway Pizza” joint waves a red flag to ardent literary pilgrims and cooks in soft mockery with its buffalo mozzarella.

Gangs of young Spaniards, Australians, Englanders and others flock in on buses in a parade of bravado, combining surfing holidays in San Sebastian and crossborder Biarittz with the running of the bulls. As they get set for an eight-day street orgy of wine-bathing and over-consumption of sangria, some portly gents arrive as leisurely guests of the government of Navarra’s office of culture and tourism.

While the energetic young ones don Daz-whiteness T-shirt and trouser outfits and tie red cravats around their necks and feel part of a history bigger and even crazier than their over-enthusiastic selves, the old chaps are thoughtfully decapitating decent cigars and getting ready to roll on down to the unlikely talent show.

All the finalists grind down through the streets to the central plaza. They are now fully in character, all beards and bellies, and must perform for a while as the celebrated writer.

They charge past tattooed young hedonists on Interrail passes just finished their first-year exams. They cut through stunning Spanish youths who know this fiesta of bulls mauls the internet back into its box.

They nod to similar-aged locals whose ardour for San Fermin never flags but whose intensity of celebration now finds form in the preparation and consumption of excellent cod stew.

The product of the best bovine breeding, some of the international Hemingway doubles are veterans of qualifying heats elsewhere.

But the only heat here is the 36 degrees bombarding these greying men.

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Sanfermines : Time Magazine 1932

Because of its historic value we thank Time Magazine for publishing this article about the Sanfermines in Iruñea from back in 1932:

Animals: Pamplona's Encierros

Monday, Jul. 11, 1932

For 51 weeks of the year the capital of Navarra is a sleepy little Spanish city where half-naked children play in the narrow streets and café waiters doze under the arcades of the broad, quiet Plaza de la Constitucíon. But in the second week of July, Pamplona becomes bull-mad, its streets and plaza are full of snuffing, rushing bulls. Hotels and rooming houses overflow with visitors from Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastian, with tourists from St. Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz and Paris. Peasants from miles around sleep in wagons, in the fields, or do not sleep at all. For four days from 6 a. m. until long after midnight sleep is next to impossible while Pamplona celebrates the Fiesta of San Fermín, its patron saint. There are bullfights, street dancing, parades of huge grotesque figures, much drinking of strong Spanish wine. But by far the most exciting ceremony—one which takes place only at Pamplona—is the encierro (driving of the bulls).

Soon after dawn the first day of the fiesta this week, hundreds of youths gathered at the edge of town near the railroad station. Men climbed upon six big cages, reached down and opened them. Out walked six bulls, blinking in the sunlight. They were strong, lithe, handsome, each branded with the mark of Don Ernesto Blanco. They looked around, uncertain what to do, until from the crowd of youths came a yell: "Hah! Hah! . . . Toro!" The bulls lowered their heads, charged the crowd. The crowd took to its heels, the bulls stampeding in pursuit.

Through the narrow streets rushed the yelling rabble of boys and young men, while women cheered from the safety of windows. From every doorway came male recruits to swell the throng. Across the city they ran, the foremost bull not three paces behind the last man. At the plaza the path of the encierro is marked by fences, behind which hundreds of tourists and visitors watched. A few, carried away by the excitement, vaulted the fence, joined the runners. Occasionally a runner fell, lay still while the bulls, their eyes on the moving mass, pounded over them. From the plaza the chase poured into another small street, then men & bulls made one mad rush for the entrance of the bull ring.

The gate is far too small to let all through at once. Those who could not get in fell to the ground. Men piled upon men, bulls leaped over a human wall and charged snorting into the ring. There they found men waving coats, shirts, rags—anything that remotely resembled a matador's cape. The bulls charged here & there. Sometimes a novice held his bull's attention, executed several passes. Sometimes he went down with a horn wound in his leg.

Into this bedlam now trotted a bunch of steers. The bulls charged, goring the steers at first but gradually making friends with them, quieting down in the company of fellow cattle. Then the steers led the bulls out to pens under the arena.

The failed to mention anything regarding the Basque identity of this tradition, but at least they did mention Navarra and not just Spain.

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Bulls and Hemingway

In this article published by Time Magazine you will get some basic information about the main festivity in Euskal Herria, the Sanfermines in Iruñea:

The Running of the Bulls

Randy James

As they have each July for centuries, the narrow, cobblestone streets of Pamplona, Spain, are thundering with the sound of charging bulls. The weeklong annual celebration originated as a religious festival to honor St. Fermin, the patron saint of this small city in Spain's northern Basque region. Today the festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, many of whom are drawn to its world-famous encierro, or running of the bulls, which begins July 7 and was made famous outside Spain by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 classic The Sun Also Rises.

The running of the bulls began as a way to move bulls from Pamplona's corral to its bullfighting ring. The animals would run the roughly half-mile stretch as children and adults herded them with shouts and sticks. The practice may date back as far as the 13th century, but it is known to have continued virtually uninterrupted since 1592, when the festival was moved from September to July. People are thought to have joined the herd sometime in the 1800s.

Nowadays, thousands of participants from around the world dash through Pamplona's streets trailed by charging bulls. Thousands more watch from safe nooks and balconies along the route, and spectators can also follow the events on national TV. Every morning from July 7 to 14, hordes of daredevils gather in a historic section of the city, many dressed in traditional garb and carrying rolled-up newspapers to swat the bulls if necessary. They sing a traditional homage to St. Fermin, asking him to guide them through the run. After two small rockets are fired, six bulls are released (along with a herd of steers), and the chase is on. The event generally takes just a few minutes.

As one might imagine, running with an angry, half-ton bull on your heels is not a particularly safe pastime. Since 1924, 14 people have been killed at the St. Fermin festival; the last to be fatally gored was a 22-year-old American, Matthew Tassio, in 1995. Witnesses said Tassio was knocked to the ground by a bull, then got up again and was struck by a second animal — a violation of the axiom that runners should remain on the ground if they get knocked down. Many people are injured each year, by both the animals and the crush of sprinters frantically making their way to the bullfighting arena on slippery cobblestones. Observers say foreigners — especially, for some reason, Americans — are most likely to be injured. "Americans come here with the image of The Sun Also Rises and just don't realize how dangerous it is and how easy it is to trip up," Daniel Ross, an American vice consul in Spain, told the New York Times after Tassio's accident.

Another factor fueling injuries in Pamplona is alcohol. As Hemingway chronicled, the festival is awash in wine and sangria, and runners partake copiously during long nights of partying. Participating in the run while tipsy is against the festival's rules, but violations are common. Another oft broken requirement is that all runners be at least 18 years of age. Many Spaniards were outraged to see televised images of a smiling 10-year-old boy dashing through the streets of Pamplona in 2007. The boy's mother was horrified as well; her ex-husband, who took the youngster to the festival, lost his visitation rights and was fined $200.

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Disrespect at Ezkaba

A group representing the Asociación de Familiares de Fusilados, Asesinados y Desaparecidos de Nafarroa (an organization that brings together relatives of those victims of the Spanish government that have been executed by firing squad, murdered or gone missing in the Basque province of Navarre) stated their disagreement to Elena Torres regarding the approach given to the guided visits at the Ezcaba fort.

Yesterday, Elena Torres (president of Navarre's Parliament), received the delegation for the association, headed by association's own president, Mirentxu Agirre, who counted with the company of Olga Alcega, Tomas Dorronsoro, Josefina Lamberto and Roberto Rocafor. At the end of the meeting the association stated that they do not agree with the approach that they are giving to the guided visits a the Ezkaba fort, "because they barely portray its real purpose, a jail for extermination". As it is well known, during the guided visits the main focus are historic and architectonic information about the fort, but they barely make any reference to the use given to the fort as a jail by the Francoist dictatorship.

During the meeting, according to a press release by Navarre's Parliament, Agirre was pleased by the degree of development in the agreement between that the Parliament decided to establish with the Universidad Pública de Nafarroa (Navarre's Public University) to create an archive dedicated to the Historic Memory.

"We are very satisfied by the interest and sensibility shown by Elena Torres time and again towards our cause. We trust that, just as she told us, the archive dedicated to the Historic Memory will be active by the next legislative period. On our behalf, we assured her that we are willing to collaborate in any possible wasy", informed Mirentxu Agirre at the end of the meeting. She also made public the "gratefulness" from the association for the cycle of conferences that, under the title "Victims of the Civil Was and Historic Memory" was organized by the Parliament on November of 2008, and to this matter they asked Elena Torres if there was a possibility to make such conferences an every year occasion.

The association was created back in November of 2002 with the objective of "reclaiming the historic memory in regards of the victims of the Francoist genocidal repression during the Civil War". On March of 2003, the Parliament approved a declaration in favor of the acknowledgment and moral reparation of all those Basques from Navarre executed by firing squad in the aftermath of the Francoist coup d'etat in 1936.

We sustain that a lot more needs to be done regarding all the heinous crimes committed by the Franco regime from 1936 until today that Juan Carlos Borbon perpetuates the murderous regime as king of Spain.

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Bilingual Education in Navarre

This essay was published at Basque Research:

Study on attitudes of students at the Public University of Navarre to bilingual education

The Public University of Navarre (UPNA) has presented the book, “Attitudes and beliefs of students of the UPNA to bilingualism and bilingual education”, a report on the research work undertaken by the University teachers Mr Pablo Sotés, Ms Nekane Oroz and Mr Carlos Vilches. The work, 1,000 copies of which have been published at a selling price of 12 euros, was financed by the Government of Navarre.

In order to gather information, the authors carried out interviews with 2,048 students - out of a total of 7,410 – over the 2005-2006 academic year and, moreover, used the technique of group discussion. The level of reliability of the study is 95.5%.

The principal aim of the work was to find out the linguistic skills of the student body at the Public University of Navarre and analyse the attitudes to bilingualism and bilingual education in the educational system of the Autonomous Community of Navarre. The results provide a linguistic map of the student body which should contribute to the task of linguistic planning within the various strategic plans of the University.

Linguistic profile of student body

According to the research results, 84% of students interviewed have Castilian (Spanish) as their mother tongue while 14% have Euskara (the Basque language) or both simultaneously, and the remaining 2% have a mother tongue other than Basque or Spanish. As regards linguistic skills, nearly 40% state that they have knowledge of Basque to a greater or lesser extent, comprehension skills being rated higher than those of oral and written expression. A similar percentage of students (40%) have knowledge of French, although here the percentage of those stating they have difficulties is greater than with Basque.

Linguistic skills in English present special characteristics, according to the study. In general, it can be said that the immense majority of students at the UPNA has a high or intermediate knowledge of the English language, scoring over 90% in each of the four linguistic skills (aural comprehension, reading writing and speaking). The highest scoring, nevertheless, is in written and oral comprehension and the lowest in oral expression. Of the five modern European languages, German is, on the other hand, the language with the least presence amongst the students (less than 10%).

About 20% of students have an elementary or higher qualification in Basque and more than 40% have a certificate in English. About 15% of students have qualifications in French and less than 2% in German.

Taking different languages into account

English is the language deemed by most students as the most appropriate for scientific and educational communication, followed by Spanish, German, French and Basque in that order of importance. This order changes when sociocultural transmission is involved (Spanish, English, Basque, French and German) or which are considered socially the best (Spanish, English, Basque, German and French).

Also, more than 90% of those surveyed consider that the knowledge of a second language facilitates the learning of a third. And to the question as to what linguistic model (in the Basque-Spanish bilingual educational system) they would choose for their primary/secondary school studies if they were making the choice now, women opt primarily for model D (Basque), followed by A (Spanish with Basque as a subject) and G (Spanish) and models in English or in French, in that order. In the case of men, however, the order varies, being model G the most popular choice, followed by D, A and then models in English or in French.

As regards legal aspects there exists a great lacuna in knowledge about linguistic zoning, established by the Navarre Autonomous Community Law on the Basque language. Nevertheless, 43% consider that Basque should have a new deal for the future regulated by Law, which would enable greater rights in the use and the teaching of this language. 14%, however, defend the validity of zoning.

Languages in the educational system

The study also reveals the opinions of students about the treatment of languages in the educational system. 60% of those surveyed consider that Basque is still not normalised nor has it been spread throughout the educational system as it should. More than 35% believe, however, that this language does not need any treatment differentiated from the other languages, given that they believe it to be fully normalised.

With respect to the linguistic models (see above) in the educational system, the majority of those surveyed who come from model A believe this model does not guarantee the achievement of obtaining the linguistic skills sufficient for undertaking university studies in Basque. In the case of model D, the majority who have been through this educational linguistic model hold that this immersion model in Basque enables them to carry out their university studies in either Spanish or Basque. However, ex-model G students believe this model does not guarantee a sufficient level in Spanish.

Regarding the EC languages, students justify the predominance of English as a majority foreign language in the non-university educational system of Navarre, linking fluency in this language with access to high socio-economic status.

As regards French, almost 50% of those surveyed believe it will continue to be taught as up to now, although 25% do not augur a good future for the tongue and consider that its teaching will gradually disappear. On the other hand, most students state that German will grow in the educational system of Navarre.

Languages in the University

The research revealed that students consider knowledge of English fundamental to starting their university studies (88%), followed at a distance by Basque (36%). French and German score significantly low in this respect.

At the time of undertaking the survey, the professional teaching qualifications in Basque included the Teaching Certificate in Infant Education and the Teaching Certificate in Primary Education and certain subjects in other qualifications. Students enrolled in subjects in the Basque language came to 10% of the total, most of which are women who study at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, have Basque as their mother tongue and have been through model D schooling and this, to a great extent, in the Basque Autonomous Community (Euskadi).

Students not enrolled for subjects through this language state the reasons as being the lack of opportunity to learn the language or lack of linguistic skills therein, incompatibility with timetables, misleading information, preference for Spanish, etcetera. The percentage of ex-model A students opting for subjects through Basque does not come to 4%.

The study indicates that the provision of subjects/courses in Basque is classified as “insufficient” by more than half of the students. In this sense, 76.5% are in favour of including some subjects in Basque within a degree course; 30% prefer the provision of a complete degree course in Basque, together with the existing provision in Spanish and 15.7% would not offer any subject in Basque on a degree course.

Regarding EC languages, the University prioritises the linguistic training of the students - in the academic year in which the survey was undertaken, subjects were offered in English and in French, above all in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences.

Given this situation, the survey indicates that English is the foreign language most required by students as a language of instruction. 79.2% of those surveyed believe it a good thing to provide subjects in this language, compared to 13.8% who opt for French and 12% for German. Nevertheless, only 19.40% would offer a whole degree course through English. The majority prefer this language to be offered in the following: a selection of subjects; optional subjects; certain core and obligatory subjects, free choice subjects - in that order. The demand for French and German in this respect is much less significant.

Finally, the research measured the level of satisfaction expressed by students at UPNA with how the University treats languages: poorly in the case of Basque and very poorly in the cases of French and German; and medium-high with respect to English.

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Nafarroa's Wines

Once again an article that lacks historic accuracy, this time from The News Tribune, here you have it:

Spain’s Navarre region produces fine wines

RANDY BUCKNER

The Navarre region of Spain was an ancient and powerful kingdom and has been at the crossroads of history for more than 1,000 years. Navarre is in the foothills of the stunning Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural border between France and Spain.

Navarre shares the culture and history of both countries, while still retaining its character as part of the Basque region as well.

Actually Randy, Navarre is not "part of the Basque region", Navarre IS the Basque Country. It does share the culture and history of both Spain and France, not because the Basques wanted but because they were imposed to them by their meddling, often violent and expansionist neighbors.

When most of Spain was conquered by the Moors in medieval times, Navarre became the frontier between Islam and Christianity. Charlemagne fought here. During the Middle Ages, Navarre and its capital, Pamplona, became an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela (also known in English as The Way of Saint James).

Randy, Spain did not exist when the Moors arrived on the Iberian Peninsula. At the time there was dozens of small kingdoms and not one of them was called Spain. Two more facts: Charlemagne did fight in Navarre, and was soundly defeated by the Navarrese Army at the Orreaga mountain pass in what is today known as The Battle of Roncesveaux, actually, the Basques defeated the Franks at that very same spot a total of three times, this reasserting their identity and sovereignty as an independent kingdom. Second, a portion of Navarre converted to Islam and that is how the Muslim Basque emirate of Banu Qasi came to be. This emirate fought along the Christian portion of Navarre during many wars against the attempts by Castile to conquer them.

This flow of pilgrims from Europe gave Navarre exposure to many different cultures and traditions, including contact with winemakers from the major wine regions of France.

Navarre lies directly between the Bordeaux and Rioja wine regions, and it draws its expertise, inspiration and encouragement from the steady traffic of ideas between these areas. Winemaking in Navarre traces its roots back to the Romans, who recognized that its combination of soil and climate was ideal for grape growing.

Errioxa (known in Spanish as Rioja) is part of Navarre. So, the Basques learned how to make wine directly from the Romans, not from the non existent Riojans. And guess what, Bordeaux is in Gascony, a neighboring nation within France with heavy Basque influence, so you may want to go over that theory about how the Basques got to be so good at wine making.

But I'll let you continue with your review:

Navarre is famous for growing the classic grape of Northern Spain, tempranillo, as well as garnacha (grenache), which has its roots in Southern France.

The vines here are old and gnarled, producing small amounts of very concentrated, intensely flavored grapes. Some of the vineyards are more than 100 years old. Many families have grown grapes in Navarre for more than four generations, and they take great pride in the personal attention they give each vine.

Tempranillo is the traditional red grape of Spain. It is grown throughout the northern part of the country, from Rioja and Navarre to Ribera del Duero and Castilla La Mancha. The grape produces wines which display a complex bouquet of cherries, dried leather and earthiness. In Portugal, this same grape, called tinto roriz, plays a key role in the blending of great vintage port wines.

Garnacha, better known in the United States as grenache, is the most widely planted red grape in the world. It is famous in the Rhne, where it is a key to the success of Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Ctes du Rhne wines. It is equally successful in Spain, where it is an important part of the blend in classic Rioja wines.

It does well in very dry regions, where the fruit becomes quite concentrated. Wines made from grenache tend to be very lush and fruity, with aromatic notes of blackberries and currants. The wines are quite fleshy and smooth. They make an ideal blend with the more structured character of tempranillo.

If you need a little more excitement after visiting the vineyards, head for the Pamplona, famous for its Festival of San Fermín and the running of the bulls. There is more here than the adventures depicted by Ernest Hemingway. San Fermín is the social expression of a local culture. The city comes alive, with hundreds of thousands of people celebrating a history and shared experience that goes back more than a thousand years.

2001 Bodegas Julian Chivite, Coleccion 125 Reserva, Navarre, Spain, $40: Aromas of black fruits, cigar leaf and wormwood radiate from this deeply-hued wine. It is full and elegant in the mouth, with tannins that firm up of the back end. Flavors mirror the nose. This will only get better with aging; 88+/88+.

2007 Bodegas Ochoa, Rosado Garnacha, Navarre, Spain, $8.50: Sporting a light cranberry color, this crisp, balanced wine delivers aromas and flavors of crisp berry fruit. Serve slightly chilled. Killer value; 86/90.

2004 Bodegas San Martin, Senorio de Unx Crianza, Navarre, Spain, $13: The nose is a complex mix of berries, warm spices, vanilla and leather. Crisp, well balanced and fruity, the palate reveals berry fruit with a hint of juniper berries. Good value; 85/88.

2004 Compania Vitivinicola Tandem, Ars Nova, Navarre, Spain, $20: Blackberries, blueberries, anise and thyme unfold on the nose, while black fruits prevail on the palate. Crisp, with moderate tannins, this wine will pair well with a hearty beef stew; 86/87.

Now, thanks to this wine tour you know more about Navarre, the ancient Basque kingdom, the reason why historians flat out lie when they say that the Basques never enjoyed of a free, independent and sovereign political entity to call their own.

So uncork your best bottle of Errioxa wine, pour some of that vibrant red liquid in your glass, raise your hand and say: Osasuna!

Which means "chears" in Euskara, the Basque language.

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Visiting Iruñea

This article about the capital city of Euskal Herria, Iruñea (known around the world as Pamplona) comes to us courtesy of Napa Valley Register:

No bull: Pamplona is cultural and culinary center of Basque Country

Friday, November 28, 2008

By L. PIERCE CARSON
Register Staff Writer

PAMPLONA, Spain — While Pamplona has achieved international notoriety thanks to Ernest Hemingway’s fascination with and descriptions of the thrilling Running of the Bulls in his novels, this otherwise tranquil city is without a doubt, much more than the edge-of-your-seat, bull-dashing frenzy that often seems to define it.

The winding streets of the compact center not only host the clamoring bulls for one week each July, but are also home to lots of history, architectural treasures, picturesque plazas, quaint shops and delightful cafés.

Tucked into a valley and surrounded by lush alpine countryside of the Pyrenees foothills, Pamplona is the historic capital of Basque Country and the current capital of Navarra, one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities.

Pamplona’s main sights are dispersed throughout the so-called “old town,” which is divided into three parts — La Navarrería, the city’s oldest section, and the 12th century boroughs of San Cernin and San Nicolás.

Culture vultures won’t walk away disappointed after a meandering stroll through La Navarrería, the oldest “burgo,” home to well-preserved architecture, stretches of the original city walls, museums, theaters and Catedral de Santa Maria with its thundering bells.

In addition, La Navarrería is the hub of Pamplona’s social life and without a doubt “pintxos” central, where you can enjoy the Spanish art of bouncing around from bar to bar tasting each establishment’s scrumptious tapas, called “pintxos” in Basque.

One of Pamplona’s noteworthy aspects is the impressive amount of parks, gardens and other greenspace that make it one of Europe’s greenest cities. Also at the edge of the city is La Ciudadela, a star-shaped citadel built centuries ago to defend Pamplona from invaders. Today, it is a top historical attraction and home to non-stop exhibitions.

On top of that, it is a great place to stay should you want to meander around the region to visit impressive wine estates.

Where to stay: if you want to keep the bill under 200 Euros per night, one of the best options is Iruña Palace Hotel Tres Reyes, a four-star hotel located by the Taconera Gardens, right in the center of Pamplona, between the old town and the modern city. Hotel Tres Reyes features a garden and an outdoor swimming pool. For those aiming to keep fit, the hotel boasts a complete gym, offering personal trainer service. It also offers an Internet Point with printer.

For well under 100 Euros per night, there’s the three-star Husa Avenida Hotel, a short walk from Ciudadela Park and Taconera Gardens. It has two restaurants, the Leyre and the Tradicional, which offer traditional dishes, a coffee bar, Wi-Fi Internet connection throughout and the advantage of being only minutes away from the train station and Pamplona-Nóain International Airport.

Where to eat: With its small, compact city center, Pamplona is the perfect city in which to spend an evening bar hopping from tapas bar to tapas bar. Basque tapas are widely considered to be the tastiest in all of Spain. The streets Calle San Nicolás, Calle Estafeta and Calle de Jarauta are chockfull of pintxos bars.

Another popular establishment is Café Iruña with its Belle Epoque decor. Located on Plaza del Castillo, Café Iruña was a Hemingway hangout and is a great place to nurse a coffee, nibble on a snack, grab a drink and just people watch.

There are also a few fine dining establishments, including one with a Michelin star. Long one of the premier restaurants in Navarra, Rodero Restaurante offers both nuevo and traditional Basque dishes. Executive chef Koldo Rodero and his team provide exciting menus paired with the restaurant’s extensive wine collection — or even the wines you may have discovered while visiting — matched by the outstanding service directed by the family’s distaff side in the front of the house. A recent dinner there featured baby squid casserole with sweet and sour potatoes and squid ink-infused tapioca, as well as a hare stewed in foie gras, truffles and its own blood.

Named for a mountain in Quinto Real, Enekorri features creative cookery and a fabulous wine list. A comfortable dining room features contemporary oil paintings on the walls and never-ending plates of outstanding food from the kitchen of chef Fernando Flores. Flores and his first-rate culinary team delighted visiting journalists with a meal that ranged from a very seductive tomato soup to a dessert plate that explored the diverse yet complementary flavors of spices — pear with cardamom, creme anglaise with cloves, chocolate mousse with nutmeg and cake roll with cinnamon cream. In between, taste buds were stimulated by wild bluefish over black olive and onion sauce, sautéed langoustines on creamed broccoli and butter foam, plus grilled loin of venison with seasonal vegetables and raspberry jus.

Getting there: If you want to fly directly into Pamplona, then your best bet is to book a flight to Madrid on Iberia and connect to Pamplona. Our group flew to Bilbao instead, allowing us a little time to check out the cultural scene in this bustling Basque city. You can fly to Bilbao via Frankfurt on Lufthansa or United, or via Paris with Air France. Then when you’re ready, hop aboard a relatively comfortable bus for the inexpensive, picturesque two hour ride to Pamplona.

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Basque-phobe of the Week : Ronald Holden

Here you have a gastronomic review at the Seattle Global Gourmet Examiner by a Basque-phobe visiting the heart of the Basque Country, Navarre:

Language Lessons: Northern Spain

November 8, 10:05 AM
by Ronald Holden, Seattle Global Gourmet Examiner

Only three weeks ago, it was Italian. Now, another country and two new languages. Talking about Navarra here, in the north of Spain. My hosts for this trip. A province the size of Los Angeles County, shaped like a trapezoid, sharing its northern border with southern France, then dropping like a diamond from the crest of the Pyrenees. Called Nafarroa in Basque, but resolutely unsympathetic to the Basque separatist movement. Navarra is a kingdom, they will tell you, even as the street signs are bilingual and the capital, Pamplona, has been known as Iruña since time immemorial. Basque influences abound in the daily language, notably the tx spelling for the Spanish ch.

Pintxos, for a start. Known as tapas elsewhere in Spain, it's how you start the night. (Txori, in Seattle, is a Basque-style pintxos bar.) The other evening, four of us stopped in Bilbao (which is Basque Country) for three small bites and two glasses each; the bill was under $40. So we went to two more places.

Rabo, the tail. Rabo de buey is oxtail, rabo de cochinillo asado is the tail of a suckling pig. Kinda tough, actually, though the rest is indescribably juicy and delicious.

Caña, copa, vaso, Vasco: the first is a glass of beer, specifically. The next two are glasses or tumblers or wine glasses. And the last one is, you guessed it, Basque. Pais Vasco is the Basque Country. Which, we remind you, is not Navarra.

Boina: the traditional Basque head covering, a beret. Bought mine at a souvenir shop for $10.

Barquito. A little boat. The piece of bread you use to mop up the last of the sauce on your plate.

Txupito: a sip. By extension, the little straight-sided glass from which you drink a shot of orujo. We'd call it a brandy or a grappa, except that the orujos we've been drinking (sorry, sipping) are much milder and sweeter than the Italian version.

Echar una siestacita: your afternoon cat nap.

Sad thing to see an individual so obsessed with misleading the readers into thinking that Navarre has nothing to do with the Basque Country when in fact Navarre is THE historical Basque state.

He himself mentions that the street signs are in two languages, which happen to be Euskara (Basque language) and Spanish, but he insists Navarre wants nothing to do with the Basque Country. If so, ¿why do they have this urge to name their streets both in Basque and Spanish?

Does he know that Euskara was called Lingua Navarrorum by the Romans? And that the Basques call their nation by the name of Euskal Herria which means "land of the Euskara speakers"?

Gladly enough, two people have already taken the time to set the record straight:

jane: While you may think Nafarroa (Navarra) has no sympathy for the Basque separatist movement, you would have a hard time convincing the people I know in the northern part of Navarra. These people congregate in the tiny "Basque Basque" bars, where Basque is spoken and banners supporting bringing the Basque prisoners back to Basque country adorn the walls. Be careful to make blanket political statements based on an inadequate sampling of opinions.

tfd: Because I am am Seattleite as well as a Basque, and because I happened to catch the last post on the Basque cuisine. My gentle advise to you is that you stick to the gastronimic aspects, as you have 0 understanding of the political ones. btw its called San Fermin, grammar is important.

Because he did not care to do some research about the history of Navarre before publishing his article and because of his more than obvious bias against the right of the Basque people to its self determination, Ronald Holden is out Basquephobe of the week.

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Cheap Shot

I first learned about this issue through two blogs published by English speaking fellows living in the Spanish State. Now it is the topic of an article at the Telegraph, let us analyze it:

Iron Maiden skeleton head Eddie appears in Spanish town hall

Eddie the Head, the blood-spitting skeletal mascot of the heavy metal rock group Iron Maiden, has been displayed in a Spanish town hall as part of a political war of symbolism.

By Alastair Jamieson
Last Updated: 10:30AM BST 15 Oct 2008

The demonic face, a regular feature of the band's violent album cover designs, features regularly at council meetings in the town of Villava in Navarre.

Because Basque separatist councillors insist on hanging the Basque flag on their desks during debates, upset rivals opposed to the idea of the Navarre region being treated as part of the Basque country have adopted the Iron Maiden flag as their own emblem.

Problem for the councillors who oppose the idea is that by hanging the Iron Maiden flag they can not rewrite history. Navarre is not just a part of the Basque Country, Navarre is THE Basque Country. For years Madrid has been fooling the international community by claiming that the Basque Country has never been an sovereign political entity, which is a lie for Navarre was an independent kingdom for well over 800 years, more so, it was a Basque kingdom.

Continue reading:

The Socialist leader, José Luis Uriz, said: "The Iron Maiden flag means a lot to me. If I have to put up with their flag, they'll have to put up with Eddie's face."

He does not have to put up with the flag, all he needs to do is to understand and accept that he represents a party created by people that opposes the political right of the Basque people to its self determination. And that the Basque people have the Navarrese flag to represent their political identity and the Ikurriña to represent their cultural identity. What Uriz needs to do is to stop betraying his own people and try to study and understand the historic and cultural past of Navarre.

The conservative Navarrese People's Union party has joined the protest, with its councillors now hang the flag of the local La Liga football club, Osasuna, from their desks.

If Uriz in misguided, the UPN militants are just plain idiots, they are displaying the flag of a football team that happens to be in Euskara, the Basque language. Osasuna means "health" in Basque... and they are trying to clain that Navarre is not part of the Basque Country!

Plus, Osasuna's home field is called "Kingdom of Navarre", a kingdom that was conquered by Castile and Aragon in its southern portion after a long war. If you check a map from that time you will notice how small was Navarre in comparision with Castile and Aragon (not to mention the Frankish empire) and you will understand how dear their sovereignty was for the Basques, a people that despite the odds fought till the end to preserve its independence, and independence that they still long for today.

Eddie The Head, whose first incarnation was created by an art student from a melted plastic face mask, is ever-present at Iron Maiden concerts. It has often appeared above the drummer with 'blood' spitting through its mouth.

Navarre, in northern Spain, borders the Basque Country and is divided between Basque speakers and Spanish speakers. Earlier this month, police in Navarre detained four men overnight on charges of staging acts of street violence in support of the militant Basque separatist group ETA.

Navarre can not border the Basque Country for Navarre is the Basque Country. What Navarre borders is the Basque Autonomous Community formed by three former Navarrese provinces by the names of Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia.

The article then goes on into the classic drivel against the right of the Basque people to its self determination, the same drivel that never mentions the thousands of Basques murdered because of their compromise with their country. Shame on the news outlets.

By the way, my entire support goes to the Basque councillors in Atarrabia (called Villava by the Spanish invaders) having to deal with those pro-Spain bullies resorting to cheap strategies because they are unable to conduct their political careers professionally.

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Eusko Flickr : Nafarroa

Nafarroa.08
Originally uploaded by La Cabeza Remota

Sixty Percent

This note comes to us thanks to EITb:

Eustat data

Sixty percent of the Basques have some knowledge of Basque

07/23/2008

Basque speakers increased by 118,000 people with respect to 2001 in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. Gipuzkoa was the first territory in terms of the population speaking Basque, (52.9%).

Six out of every ten residents in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country understand or can speak Basque well or with an occasional difficulty, according to data elaborated by Eustat, the Basque Statistics Office.

In this population group, a distinction is made in terms of their level of knowledge between: 775.000 Basque speakers –who understand and speak Basque well– and 459.000 almost-Basque-speakers, with a good or medium level of comprehension but with difficulties when speaking.

Basque speakers increased by 118,000 people with respect to 2001, whereas the number of almost-Basque speakers decreased by 11,000.

Per territory

If an analysis is made of Basque speakers per territory, Gipuzkoa maintains itself in 2006 as the first territory with a majority of the population speaking Basque, totalling 52.9%, followed by Bizkaia with 31,3% and Alava with 25.1%.

On the other hand, with respect to 2001, Alava turned out to be the territory with the biggest increase in Basque speakers, 8.9%, followed by Bizkaia with 6.4% and Gipuzkoa with 1.5%.

Profile of Basque speaker

36.3% of the residents of Gipuzkoa has Basque as their maternal language and one out of every four only speaks Basque at home. This percentage increases to 40% if you are those whose beak of Spanish and Basque at home.

In Bizkaia, Basque as the maternal language amounts to 13.1% and in Alava this reaches 4% whereas, as a spoken language, it reaches 6% in Bizkaia and 3.7% in Alava, and 15% and 6% if you add those who speak both Basque and Spanish.

The predominant profile of the Basque speakers is different pending on the territory. In Bizkaia (12.7%) and Alava (12%), this is a person aged below 35 who understands, speaks, reads and writes well in Basque, where as his or her maternal and spoken language is Spanish.

Too bad we are missing how things are in Nafarroa, Lapurdi and Zuberoa.

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Wikipedia : Kingdom of Navarre (Episode III)

I was going to add the word "epilogue" to this the last post regarding the Basque kingdom of Navarre as published at Wikipedia, but since we Basques are still writing our history by working towards the independence of the Basque Country (the modern day version of the same political entity then called Navarre) the last word about our beloved land is yet to be known.

So, here you have it:

Later history

The last independent king of Navarre, Henry III (reigned 1572–1610), succeeded to the throne of France as Henry IV in 1589, founding the Bourbon dynasty. In 1620, Lower Navarre and Béarn were incorporated into France proper by Henry's son, Louis XIII of France. The title of King of Navarre continued to be used by the Kings of France until the French Revolution in 1791, and was revived again during the Restoration, 1814–30.

As the Kingdom of Navarre was originally organized, it was divided into merindades, districts governed by a merino ("mayorino"), the representative of the king. They were the "Ultrapuertos" (French Navarre), Pamplona, Estella, Tudela and Sangüesa. In 1407 the merindad of Olite was added. The Cortes of Navarre began as the king's council of churchmen and nobles, but in the course of the 14th century the burgesses were added. Their presence was due to the fact that the king had need of their co-operation to raise money by grants and aids, a development that was being paralleled in England. The Cortes henceforth consisted of the churchmen, the nobles and the representatives of twenty-seven (later thirty-eight) "good towns" — towns which were free of a feudal lord, and, therefore, held directly of the king. The independence of the burgesses was better secured in Navarre than in other parliaments of Spain by the constitutional rule which required the consent of a majority of each order to every act of the Cortes. Thus the burgesses could not be outvoted by the nobles and the Church, as they could be elsewhere. Even in the 18th century the Navarrese successfully resisted Bourbon attempts to establish custom houses on the French frontier, dividing French from Spanish Navarre. Yet the Navarrese were loyal to their Spanish sovereigns, and no part of the country offered a more determined or more skilful resistance to Napoleon.

Navarre was staunchly Catholic and much under clerical influence. This, and the resentment felt at the loss of their autonomy when they were incorporated into Spain in 1833, account for the strong support given by many Navarrese to the Carlist cause. Until the French Revolution the kings of France carried the additional title king of Navarre. Since the rest of Navarre was in Spanish hands, the kings of Spain also carried (until 1833) the title king of Navarre. During that period Navarre enjoyed a special status within the Spanish monarchy; it had its own cortes, taxation system, and separate customs laws. In 1833, Navarre became the chief stronghold of the Carlists but recognized Isabella II as queen in 1839. As a reward for their loyalty in the Spanish Civil War, Franco allowed the Navarrese to maintain their ancient fueros, which were charters handed down by the crown outlining a system of self-government.

Institutions

The institutions of Navarre which maintained their autonomy until the 19th century included the Cortes, Royal Council, Supreme Court and Diputacion del Reino. Similar institutions existed in the Crown of Aragon (in Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia) until the 18th century. The Spanish monarch was represented by a viceroy.

Territory today

The territory formerly known as Navarre now belongs to two nations, Spain and France, depending on whether it lies south or north of the Western Pyrenees. The Basque language is still spoken in most of the provinces. Today, Navarre is an autonomous community of Spain and Basse-Navarre is part of France's Pyrénées Atlantiques département. Other former Navarrese territories belong now to several autonomous communities of Spain: the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, La Rioja, Aragon and Castile and Leon.

And to think that the Spaniards get upset when we demand the independence of Bizkaia, Araba (including Trebiño), Gipuzkoa, Nafarroa, Lapurdi and Zuberoa when in all justice, we can also claim Errioxa (La Rioja) and parts of Kantabria (Cantabria) and Aragoia (Aragon).

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Wikipedia : Kingdom of Navarre (Intro)

Thanks to Txabi of SUBO for giving us the heads up about the information in English regarding Navarre, the kingdom of the Basques, at Wikipedia.

It is a lot of information so I will post it here in subsequent entries, here you have the intro:

Kingdom of Navarre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kingdom of Navarre (Spanish: Reino de Navarra, Basque: Nafarroako Erresuma, French: Royaume de Navarre), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean.

The kingdom of Navarre was formed when a local Basque leader Íñigo Arista was elected or declared King in Pamplona (traditionally in 824) and led a revolt against the regional Frankish authority.

The southern part of the kingdom was absorbed by the Kingdom of Castile in 1513, and thus became part of the unified Kingdom of Spain. The northern part of the kingdom remained independent, but it was joined with France in a personal union in 1589 when King Henry III of Navarre inherited the French throne as Henry IV of France, and in 1620 it was merged into the Kingdom of France.

Etymology

There are similar earlier toponyms but the first documentation of Latin navarros appears in Eginhard's chronicle of the feats of Charles the Great. Other Royal Frankish Annals give nabarros. There are two proposed etymologies for the name of Navarra/Nafarroa/Naparroa:

• Basque nabar (declined nom. sing. intr. nabarra): "brownish", "multicolor" (which would be a contrast with the green mountain lands north of the original County of Navarre).
  
• Basque naba/Castilian nava ("valley", "plain", present across Spain as in Las Navas de Tolosa) + Basque herri ("people", "land").

Note that Joan Corominas does not consider naba as clearly Basque in origin, but as part of a wider pre-Roman substrate.

Early history

See also: Duchy of Vasconia

The kingdom of Pamplona and then Navarre formed part of the traditional territory of the Vascones, a pre-Roman tribe who occupied the southern slope of the western Pyrenees and part of the shore of the Bay of Biscay.The area was completely conquered by the Romans by 74 BC. It was first part of the Roman province of Citerior, then of the Tarraconensis province and after that of the conventus Caesaraugustanus. Rome left a clear mark in the area in urbanization, language, infrastructure, commerce, and industry.

After the decline of the Western Roman Empire neither the Visigoths nor the Arabs ever succeeded in permanently occupying the Western Pyrenees. The western Pyrenees passages were the only ones allowing good transit through the mountains, other than those on the Southern Pyrenees. That made the region strategically important early in its history.

The Franks under Charlemagne extended their influence and control towards the south, occupying several regions of the north and east of the Iberian Peninsula. It's not clear how solid was the Frankish control over Pamplona. In August 15, 778, after the retreating Charlemagne had demolished the walls of Pamplona, the Basque tribes annihilated his rearguard, led by Roland, in a confrontation at a mountain passage known to history as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass.

In 806 and 812 Pamplona fell again into the Franks' hands. When, however, the Frankish emperors, on account of difficulties at home, were no longer able to give their attention to the outlying borderlands of their empire, the country, little by little, entirely withdrew from their allegiance, and about this time began the formation of a Vasconic dynasty which soon became very powerful. In 824 the Basque chieftain Íñigo Arista was chosen king of Pamplona, which was expanded under his successors and became known as the kingdom of Navarre.

In 905, the dynasty founded by Íñigo Arista was overtrown through the machinations of neighboring princes, and Sancho I Garcés (905–25), nephew of the Count of Ribagorza, was placed in the throne. He fought against the Moors with repeated success and joined Ultra-Puertos, or Basse-Navarre, to his own dominions, also extending its territory as far as Nájera. As a thanksgiving for his victories, he founded, in 924, the convent of Albelda. Before his death, all Moors had been driven from the country. His son and eventual successor, Garcia Sanchez I (931–70), who had the support of his energetic and diplomatic mother Toda (Teuda) Aznárez of the line of Arista, likewise engaged in a number of conflicts with the Moors. At this time, the county of Aragon, previously only nominally a vassal state, came under the direct control of the kings of Pamplona.

In the year 905 a Leonese chronicle mentions the extension of the Kingdom of Pamplona for the first time, being clear that it extended then to Nájera and Arba (arguably Araba), what for some implies that it included the Western Basque Country as well:

In era DCCCCXLIIII surrexit in Panpilona rex nomine Sancio Garseanis. Fidei Xpi inseparabiliterque uenerantissimus fuit, pius in omnibus fidefibus misericorsque oppressis catholicis. Quid multa? In omnibus operibus obtimus perstitit. Belligerator aduersus gentes Ysmaelitarum multipficiter strages gessit super Sarrazenos. Idem cepit per Cantabriam a Nagerense urbe usque ad Tutelam omnia castra. Terram quidem Degensem cum opidis cunctam possideuit. Arbam namque Panpilonensem suo iuri subdidit, necnon cum castris omne territorium Aragonense capit. Dehinc expulsis omnibus biotenatis XX' regni sue anno migrauit a seculo. Sepultus sancti Stefani portico regnat cum Xpo in polo (Obiit Sancio Garseanis era DCCCCLXIIII (A marg.)).

In the Era 944 [AD 905] arose in Pamplona a king named Sancio Garseanis. He was a man of unbreakable devotion to the faith of Christ, pious with all the faithful and merciful with oppressed Catholics. What more? In all his actions he performed as a great warrior against the people of the Ismailites; he inflicted multiple disasters on the Saracens. This same captured all the fortified places in the Cantabria, from the city of Nájera to Tudela. Indeed he possessed all the land of Degium [Monjardín, near Lizarra] with its towns. The "Arba" of Pamplona he submitted to his law, and conquered as well all the country of Aragon [then Jaca and nearby lands] with its fortresses. Later, after suppressing all infidels, the twentieth year of his reign he left this world. Buried in the portal of Saint Stephen [Monjardín], he reigns with Christ in Heaven (King Sancho Garcés died in the era 964 [925] (marginal note)).

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Eusko Flickr : Bardenak (Nafarroa)

Bardenak (Nafarroa)
Originally uploaded by Amaia eta Gotzon

List of Wannabes

At Nosemonkey's Eutopia you will find a post titled "States of mind" which contains a list of what he calls "wannabe countries".

Here you have and extract of that post:

Some are more economically viable, some less; some are more uniform in their national identity, some more controversial; some are more of a joke. But all, really, have similar claims to independent status as Kosovo - and many are associated with the European Parliament’s European Free Alliance group. There’s a surprisingly large number of aspirant Utopias.

After Kosovo, it is obvious that economic viability has ceased to be something that can be used against those who seek independence.

This is what nosemonkey says about Euskal Herria:

The Basque Country - Somewhat well-known wannabe state straddling the Franco-Spanish border, based on one of the most tight-knit ethnic groups in Europe.

Navarre - a former kingdom and current autonomous region of Spain, Navarre is part of the wider Basque Country, but Basque nationalists have occasionally suggested limiting their ambitions for sovereignty to this smaller area.

Pretty accurate view of what's taking place in Euskal Herria.

But what I really wanted to highlight about this post is his mention of this particularly interesting international agreement:

Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

In February 1995, 22 member States of the Council of Europe, signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The Framework was to become active in 1998. The broad aims of the Convention are to ensure that the signatory states respect for the rights of national minorities, undertaking to combat discrimination, promote equality, preserve and develop the culture and identity of national minorities, guarantee certain freedoms in relation to access to the media, minority languages and education and encourage the participation of national minorities in public life.

Article 25 of the Framework Convention binds the signatory states to submit a report to the Council of Europe containing "full information on the legislative and other measures taken to give effect to the principles set out in this framework Convention" (Council of Europe, 1994, 7).

The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities defines a national minority implicitly to include minorities possessing a territorial identity and a distinct cultural heritage.

However the convention has come under considerable criticism. First of all, not all member states of the European Council have signed and ratified it. France has done neither. Luxembourg and Belgium have signed and have yet to ratify. Also, the provisions offer little new on already existing international treaties. Furthermore, they are hedged around with many phrases including 'as far as possible'.

Overall however, Phillips (2002) has argued that because the FCNM is flexible it has allowed such a great number of states to ratify it so quickly. Therefore it should not be considered a failure, but a start. Many authors agree with this arguing that it needs to be implemented in 'good faith' with the political will to support commitment to minority rights.

And as he points out, France did not sign this agreement which directly affects three of Euskal Herria's provinces: Lapurdi, Behe-Nafarroa and Zuberoa.

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International Center for the Basque Diaspora

This video came to us thanks to the good friend Benoit:

ICBD Larregoien - english
Cargado por bennyprod

The video presenting the project of the International Center for the Basque Diaspora, we are creating in the town of Ascarat - Baxe Nafarroa.

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Basques In New Mexico

This time I am not kidding, this note by The News Bulletin talks about the Basque Club in New Mexico.

Here you have it:

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Basque Club upholds ancient culture

Kenn Rodriguez News-Bulletin Staff Writer; krodriguez@news-bulletin.com

When she first came to New Mexico, Suzanne Uberuaga said she met a lot of people who she immediately knew were Basque.

"When I first moved to Santa Fe I started meeting people with Basque last names," she said. "And I said 'Oh, you're Basque.' And they'd say, 'No, I'm Spanish.' But you could see it in their faces — the nose, the eyes and eyebrows. They were Basque, and didn't know it."

Uberuaga, who grew up in Boise, Idaho, started the Basque Club of New Mexico (Club Vasco de Nuevo Mexico) four years ago in order to help to spread the word about the Basque culture and language (Euskara), and the Basque country - an area in northern Spain and southwest France that has strived for self-determination since the 19th century.

Some common last names found in New Mexico that are linked to Spain but are actually Basque include Abeyta, Anaya, Apodaca, Archuleta, Arellano, Esquibel, Jaramillo, Larrañaga, Mendoza, Mondragon, Montoya, Perea, Quintana, Ruiz, Saiz, Salazar, Tapia, Ulibarri, Urioste, Velasquez and Velarde, according to the Basque Club of New Mexico's pamphlets.

Uberuaga said five of the 14 families that founded Santa Fe were of Basque origin, as well as well-known conquistadors Don Juan de Oñate and Captain Juan Bautista de Anza.

She said she learned about Basque culture from relatives in Boise, Idaho, which attained a large Basque population in the 1920s.

"I really had an appreciation for the culture — the dancing, the food — from my relatives, really," she said. "They did a lot to preserve the culture in Boise. So to honor them, I thought I should try to do something here."

Starting the club in 2004 was the first step. Since then, the club has hosted periodical gatherings. The latest took place is Mountainair in October, and another in planned in Santa Fe on December 9.

Uberuaga said the gatherings are meant to inform people of the Basque culture and heritage that is largely unknown in New Mexico.

"A good Basque is taught to preserve the culture," she said. "It's such an ancient race - one of the oldest ethnic groups in Europe. That it's still known hasn't just happened. We've worked to practice and preserve all the traditions."

Jeanne Ardens, of Bosque Farms, is a third-generation Basque who grew up near Corona, N.M. She recently attended the gathering in Mountainair and joined the Basque Club of New Mexico. She said she's very excited about the club.

"I'd been to California to Basque festivals, and it's just fun to meet people in New Mexico who share the Basque heritage," she said.

Ardens, who said her Basque ancestors came from the French Basque provinces, said she learned some Basque traditions from her father, and thought she knew a lot about Basque culture.

"My dad knew everyone who was Basque; there were a lot around Corona who were sheep herders," she said. "I thought I knew everything to know about it, but going to this meeting and meeting new people, I'm finding out more and more. I ran into the son of one of my dad's friends there, and both of our fathers had passed away, so it was very special."

The Basque culture is one that was shaped by the geography of the Basque region, located in northern Spain and southwestern France. The Basques were sea faring people, residing along the Bay of Biscay as well as the western Pyrenees mountains. Thus they were known as sailors as well as sheepherders.

Today, the Basque country consists of seven provinces in Spain and France. The Basque Autonomous Community of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Araba, as well as Nafarroa, or Navarra in Spanish, are all in modern-day Spain. The provinces of Zuberoa, Larurdi and Behe-Nafarroa lie in modern-day France.

Basque cuisine includes meats and fish, such as cod, grilled over hot coals, lamb stews, bean dishes, pintxos (the Basque equivalent of Spanish tapas), sheep's-milk cheeses from Idiazabal, the wine Txakoli and Gipuzkoan cider.

Uberuaga said another integral part of Basque culture was dance and the traditional dress that accompanies it.

In Boise, and other parts of the U.S., Basque settlers started boarding houses where people could speak the Basque language, eat Basque food, and play Basque musical instruments. Eventually dance groups were started, and they proved to be central to cultural events.

"You can say that the dancers tell a story," Uberuaga said. "The story might be about warrior, or about harvest, or fishermen."

She describes the style as similar to Irish dances, but more like ballet, with "a lot of fancy, fast footwork and toe work." Men often execute high kicks.

The traditional dress of Basque dancers — white shirts with red sashes and berets — has been copied by the runners who run with the bulls in Pamplona - which is in Navarre and was the historical capital of Basque country.

Uberuaga said the club is currently searching out new members all over the state, and is part of the planning committee for Santa Fe's 400th birthday celebration.

"It's an honor to be included in the planning," she said.

The Basque Club of New Mexico's next gathering is planned for Dec. 9 at La Casa Loma Club House, 100 Rio Vista Place, in Santa Fe.

Uberuaga said the meeting will double as the club's Christmas party. Among the highlights will be an appearance of the Basque Santa Clause - Olenzero.

"He doesn't wear red and white — he wears the traditional Basque costume with a dark beret, knickers and laced up espandrilles. He also carries a staff and smokes a pipe."

For more information on the club, call (505) 690-8050 or go to their website.

You may have heard the last name Uberuaga before, Blas Uberuaga runs English language Buber's Page, what may be the first ever site in the internet dedicated entirely to the Basque culture and language.

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New Site : Kanaldude

There is a new website dedicated to broadcasting videos of Euskal Herria.

It broadcasts from Behe Nafarroa in Iparralde, here you have the link:

Kanaldude

Enjoy it!

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Nafarroa : "Frontier of Catholicism"

Thanks to Txabi we received this essay about the dire consequences that the marriage Vatican-Spanish Crown brought to the people of Nafarroa (Navarre).

Here you have it:

The Inquisition and the University: Guarantors of Assimilation

Carlos V, heir to the Holy Roman emperors by purchased election, occupied the Spanish throne and governed with a retinue of rapacious Flemings whom he showered with bishoprics, bureaucratric titles, and even the first license to ship slaves to the Latin American colonies. He drained Latin America of its treasure to hound Satan all across Europe and to spread the true faith. When the former inquisitor general Cardinal Cisneros who led the military invasion of Navarre was appointed Pope Adrian VI, Carlos granted him the right to purge the Navarrese church. The Pope appointed only clergymen sympathetic to the empire to ecclesiastical posts in Navarre. The Basque state's redemption seemed impossible or doubtful, but the fanatical mission against the Navarrese people's "heresy" was mixed with the fever that a new treasure stirred in the conquering hosts.

The leader of the Counter-Reformation was Carlos' son, Ferdinand II. From his huge palace-monastery, Escorial, near Madrid, Philip spread his armies against the centers of heresy. Calvinism had taken hold in Holland, England, France, and northern Navarre.

Navarrese "heretics", or those suspected of "heresy," were roasted in the Inquisition' s purifying flames. For Spain, the Tribunal of the Inquisition in Logroño provided a means to eliminate the Navarrese intellectuals, thinkers, theologians, and clergymen suspected of opposing the foreign master.

The defense of the Catholic faith in Navarre was twofold: on the one hand, it turned out to be a mask for the submission of Navarre; on the other, the war against Protestantism was also the war against ascendant capitalism in Europe.

The metals of Latin America provided a means for Spain to fight against the nascent forces of the modern economy. Carlos V had already defeated the Castilian bourgeoisie in the uprisings of the Comuneros, which had become a social revolution against the nobility, its property and privileges. The uprisings were crushed following the betrayal of Burgos. In 1521, taking advantage of the revolt of the Comuneros, Henri d'Albret King of Navarre tried to recover Navarre from Spain. Northern Navarre and the Roncal valley united their armies led by Andre de Foix, seigneur d'Asparroz. Pamplone went up in revolt against the Castilians who quickly surrended. Most of the Navarrese territory was recovered, but having defeated the Comuneros, the Castilian troops returned to Navarre. Many Navarrese died in the battle of Noain in the Iruña valley where the troops of Andre de Foix were defeated by the army of Carlos V.

The betrayal of Navarre extended across the Pyrenees. There, a Basque parasitic nobility complete with its cortege of intellectuals who made their living from service to the king of France, decided that Lapurdi, Zuberoa, and northern Navarre should be annexed to France. During the spread of the Counter-Reformation in France, the bishop of Baiona, Bertrand de Echauz, plotted with Cardinal Richelieu's plea to the king of France requesting that Navarre be annexed to France, which was carried out in 1620 with the Edict of Union. The annexation notwithstanding, northern Navarre kept its own institutions and laws which were the same national institutions of the entire Navarrese kingdom.

Basque identity was still present in 1789 when the parliament of (northern) Navarre declined an invitation to submit the Cahiers des Doleances to the French National Assembly which they considered a foreign institution. Unlike the western Basque lands of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, the Basque territories north of the Pyrenees maintained close relations with (southern) Navarre for many centuries.

For its foreign masters and its chief associate, the Church, and for the Basque nobility who sold its soul to the devil at a price that would have shamed Faust, the conquest of Navarre was perfectly rational.

Ideological justifications were never in short supply. The bleeding of Navarre became an act of charity, an argument for the faith. With the guilt, a whole system of rationalizations for guilty
consciences was devised.

Purged, humiliated, and with its Basque character undermined, Navarre was transformed under the double seal of Spanish unity and Roman Catholic Orthodoxy into a "frontier of Catholicism, " the religious version of Spanish monarchic unity in the elaboration of which ascetic, mystic, jurist, moralist, philosophical and theological writers all worked together to come up with ideas within which to frame the "Hispanic" character of Navarre in order to secure its annexation. In the geopolitical concept of imperialism, Navarre is no more than a natural appendage of Spain.

In the dioceses, universities, and ecclesiastical tribunals of 16th and 17th century Spain, the number of theologians from the Basque territories increased as Hispanic assimilation was guaranteed both by the Inquisition and the university. These theologians who worked at the service of Spain spreaded the imperial ideology throughout the Basque territories. The most important centers for the dissemination of "Hispanic" ideology were the University of Salamanca, sponsored by Queen Isabel, and the University of Alcala, founded by Cardinal
Cisneros, the fierce conqueror of Navarre.

Bibliography: Mikel Sorauren, Historia de Navarra, el Estado vasco, Pamiela, 1999; Tomas Urzainki, La Navarra maritima, Pamiela, 1998; Roger Collins, The Basques, Basil Blackwell, 1986; Jean-Louis Davant, Ebauche d'une histoire du peuple Basque, in Euskadi en guerre, Ekin, 1982; Marianne Heiberg, The Making of the Basque Nation, Cambridge University Press, 1989; Luis Nuñez Astrain, La Razón Vasca, Txalaparta, 1995

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