Alfer egon eta alfer-lana egin, biak berdin.
Doing nothing and doing useless work are the same thing.

These proverbs were collected by Jon Aske. For the full list, along with the origin and interpretation of each proverb, click this link.
Alfer egon eta alfer-lana egin, biak berdin.
Doing nothing and doing useless work are the same thing.
“During the darkest day of the Franco era when we were denied our language, our culture and our identity, we were consoled by the knowledge that an American university in Nevada had lit one small candle in the night.” – Basque President Jose Antonio Ardanza
This is how important the William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies is and has been to the Basque people. Nestled in the University of Nevada, Reno, campus, the Center is a cornerstone of Basque history and culture, not only in the United States but the world.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
Primary sources: William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies; The William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies Newsletter, number 84, Winter 2016.
Aldi luzeak, guztia ahaztu.
With the passing of time, all things are forgotten.
For me, the best thing about the Basque Country is the strong social connections between family and friends. The Basques are so tight knit. Life-long groups of friends celebrate everything together and these groups are essentially a second family. Maybe this comes from having more compact towns and cities where it is easy to get together. Or that people rarely move far from where they were born (or they go half way around the world…) Whatever the reason, the koadrila is such a cool part of Basque culture.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
Primary sources: Traditions, Etxepare Euskal Institutua
Aita biltzaileari, seme hondatzaile.
A thrifty father begets a squandering son.
While surfing originated in Polynesia and Hawaii, many Basques have distinguished themselves in the sport. Indeed, the Basque Country has some prime surfing spots, including the Bizkaian coastal town of Mundaka. Hugues Oyarzabal became one of the pioneers of the sport, surfing some of the biggest waves in the world while filming himself riding down the center of a barrel wave long before GoPro was a thing.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
Primary sources: Hugues Oyarzabal, Surfing Star Who Rode With a Camera, Dies at 39, The New York Times; Fallece Hugues Oyarzabal, surfista pionero en usar las GoPros y en olas gigantes, El Diario Vasco
Agindua zorra, esan ohi da.
A promise is a debt, it’s always been said.
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Music and singing is such an important part of Basque culture. No Basque festival or party is complete without an accordion or a txistu. And, like all cultures, the Basques have created some of their own unique musical instruments while incorporating others like the accordion that has since become a staple of Basque folk music. And others, like the txalaparta, almost disappeared only to see a revival in recent years. Yet others have been lost to time.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
Primary sources: Please see the links in the main text.
I recently interviewed Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe about his research studying the Basques of the American West, particularly the arboglyphs herders left on the aspens in the mountains. He is out with a new book focusing on the Basques of Nevada, specifically Elko. With assistance from Jess Lopategui, this book explores the role Basque immigrants had in the area, from the first to arrive in the 1870s to those that continue to define the region.
More Than Sheepherders: The American Basques of Elko County, Nevada
Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe with the assistance of Jess Lopategui
(from the University of Nevada Press)
In the remote community of Elko, Nevada, the Altube brothers and the Garats started fabled ranches in the early 1870s. These hardy citizens created the foundation of a community that still exists today, rooted in the traditions and cultures of American Basque families. Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe presents a modern study focused on the post-1970s, when the retired Basque sheepherders and their families became the dominant Americanized minority in the area. During this time, the Fourth of July National Basque Festival began to attract thousands of visitors from as far away as Europe to the small Nevada community and brought to light the vibrant customs of these Nevadans.
This book explores the American Basques’ present-day place in the West, bolstered by the collaborative efforts of four contributors, including two women—all who have been residents of Elko. The writers offer firsthand knowledge of their heritage through numerous vignettes, and these deeply personal perspectives will entice readers into Mallea-Olaetxe’s singular and entertaining historical account.
“Many Basque American communities are in need of a local history. For Elko, Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe fills this gap. He provides an in-depth history that focuses on early Basque immigrants in the sheep industry, while also highlighting their later work in restaurants, mining, and construction. The personal vignettes he includes allow the reader to meet the locals. Mallea-Olaetxe’s account details the experience of the Elko Basque community and provides a case study for deeper understanding of the Basque American Diaspora.”
—John Bieter, professor of history, Boise State University,
author of An Enduring Legacy: The Story of Basques in Idaho
AUTHOR/EDITOR BIOGRAPHY
Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe arrived in the United States from the Basque Country in the mid-1960s. He earned his PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1988. Mallea-Olaetxe is the author of Speaking Through the Aspens: Basque Tree Carvings in California and Nevada. He taught history and language classes at both UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College.
Jess Lopategui immigrated to Elko in 1957 and herded sheep from 1958 to 1965. He served as president of the Basque Club and, with his wife Denise and father-in-law Frank Arregui, was co-owner of the Elko Blacksmith Shop. After his retirement in 2006, he became more involved in researching the history of the Basques in Elko County.
Aditzaile onari, hitz gutxi.
A good listener needs few words.
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