Category Archives: Interviews

An Interview with Xabier Ormaetxea

Conducted in Summer 2006 Long time visitors of Buber’s Basque Page will recognize Xabier Ormaetxea. He was the driving force behind the Surname Research Project that was such a big part of Buber’s Basque Page in the early days. Those surname pages are still among the most popular areas of Buber’s Basque Page. However, beyond […]

An Interview with Pedro Oiarzabal

Conducted in Winter 2006-2007 Buber’s Basque Page: You just finished your PhD at the University of Nevada, Reno. What was your thesis about? Pedro Oiarzabal: My dissertation was titled The Basque diaspora webscape: online discourses of Basque diaspora identity, nationhood, and homeland. It is an interdisciplinary empirical research at the crossroads of migration and diaspora studies, and Internet […]

An Interview with Guillermo Zubiaga

Conducted in Fall 2007 Guillermo Zubiaga is a graphic artist living in New York, though he was born and grew up in the Basque Country. We met through my website, when Guillermo contacted me about a link to his site. In this interview, Guillermo describes growing up in post-Franco Euskal Herria, his experiences in the […]

An Interview with Mikel Morris, Part I

Conducted in Summer/Fall 2008 Mikel Morris, an American with dual US/Spanish nationality living in Zarautz, Spain, has written the definitive Basque-English dictionary and is currently working on the Morris Magnum which promises to be the largest bilingual Basque dictionary in existence.  In this first part of a multi-part interview, Mikel shares his thoughts and hard-hitting observations on […]

An Interview with Christine Bender

Conducted in Summer 2009 Christine Echeverria Bender is a writer who’s historical novels have focused on the lives and adventures of prominent Basques during the Age of Discovery. She has written about Columbus’ voyage in Challenge the Wind, Juan Sebastian de Elcano’s role in Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world in Sails of Fortune, and, in her most […]

An Interview with Mikel Morris, Part 2

Conducted in Fall/Winter 2009-2010 Mikel Morris, an American with dual US/Spanish nationality living in Zarautz, Spain, has written the definitive Basque-English dictionary and is currently working on the Morris Magnum which promises to be the largest bilingual Basque dictionary in existence.  In the first part of this interview, Mikel shared his thoughts and hard-hitting observations on the status […]

Discovering Your Own Worth: An Interview with Delphine Pontvieux

Conducted Spring 2010 In Delphine Pontvieux’s new novel ETA- Estimated Time of Arrest, her main character, Lartaun, is forced to flee his native Basque Country when he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Living under an assumed name in Mexico, he is given a chance to return by his childhood friend Patxi, but with […]

Be Open and Curious: An Interview with Gloria Lejardi

To those with any connection to the Basque community in Idaho, Gloria Lejardi is a household name. Having been a driving force behind youth dancing in the Treasure Valley of Idaho for so long, she has made her mark on so many young Basques in the area. Her dance classes are often the first foray […]

What are you waiting for? An Interview with Esther Ciganda

Esther Ciganda doesn’t wait. She doesn’t ask what if. Instead, she makes things happen. Whether that is being Team Leader for Team USA Basque Pelota or fulfilling life-long dreams of moving to the Basque Country and learning Euskara, Esther makes her dreams come true. And, now, she wants to help others do the same by […]

Diaspora eta Zu 2.0: A Discussion on New Technologies in the Diaspora

On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to appear on Benoit Etcheverry Macazaga‘s new radio program. Benoit has been a fixture in promoting Basque culture on the Internet for many years, hosting multiple radio programs dedicated to the Basques. His most recent venture, Diaspora eta Zu 2.0, is really focused on the Basque diaspora and connecting […]