Basque Fact of the Week, Euskadi

Basque Fact of the Week: Birds of the Basque Country

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What is it about getting a little older where we suddenly notice the birds around us? Where we more than notice them, we become fascinated with them and we watch them? If you are an avid bird watcher, or even if you aren’t but you just like to see the multicolored plumage once in a while, the Basque Country is a great place to set up camp. While it is harder to say that there are any birds unique to the Basque Country (birds, unlike humans, don’t care about nor are constrained by borders), the Basque Country offers amazing opportunities to see some unique feathered friends.

An argi-oilarra, or Eurasian Hoopoe, from the website Txoriak.eus. It spends the winters in Africa and can be found in the driest parts of the Basque Country.
  • Basque has two principal words for bird: txoria and hegaztia. I’ll admit, I’m not quite sure what the difference is, but txoria seems to be similar to Spanish pájaro, which is a smaller flying bird, and hegaztia to Spanish ave, meaning any bird, even those that don’t fly like a penguin. Though hega means to fly, so this might be completely wrong…
  • For its size, the Basque Country has a diverse set of bioclimatic zones that host different types of birds. On the immediate coast is the Atlantic zone, more inland the Mediterranean zone, and there is the transition zone in between. These different zones offer distinct habitats for different types of birds.
  • When we speak of birds from the Basque Country, we have to remember that birds are very mobile animals and aren’t confined to any one specific region. They migrate. However, the Basque Country, by virtue of its location and varied climates, offers a wide variety of birds that do call the Basque Country home for some part of the year.
  • Thus, there are a multitude of birds that pass through the Basque Country. One guide of some of the birds of Euskadi can be found here; it includes pictures, names, times of year to see each bird, and their sizes. A similar guide for the birds found just in the Urdaibai Reserve can be found here. eBird lists all of the birds that have been spotted this year.
  • Txoriak.eus is worth mentioning separately. It lists all of the birds found in the Basque Country and they provide recordings of the songs of each bird. However, one of the goals is to preserve the Basque names for these birds, which are being lost amongst the younger generations of Basque speakers. For example, for the common kestrel, they give nearly 20 different names in Basque, with a map that tells you what region called the bird by each name. For the common swift, there are nearly 40 names!
  • There are several sites one can visit to observe birds in the Basque Country. I’ve written about Urdaibai before, but there are many more. Txingudi, which sits at the border between Spain and France, is a great place to see both continental birds as well as sea birds that travel along the coast. In Araba there is the Lagunas de Laguardia which consists of four wetlands that are the breeding grounds for several species. Araba also boasts Valderejo National Park, which is home to many rock-dwelling birds. These are only a few, and more can be found here. And a detailed guide with maps can be found here, though the birdingeuskadi.net website they point to is dead.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Avistamiento de aves, otro atractivo turístico, Basque Magazine

Thanks to Felip Holbrook and Lisa Van De Graaff for inspiring this Fact of the Week.

Diaspora, People

My Great-Grandparents – Nire Birraitona-Amonak – Blas and Ines

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My mom’s dad’s parents were both from the Basque Country. Blas Telleria was from Mutiloa, Gipuzkoa while Ines Eiguren was from Lekeitio, Bizkaia. They met in Jordan Valley, Oregon, where they had both made their way to find a better life.

Blas and Ines from Sol Silen’s book La Historia de los Vascongados en el Oeste.

Blas was born in 1877. Mutiloa is a very small town, even smaller than Jordan Valley – its population is about 250 people. Despite its size, it still hosts the three elements of every Basque town – the church, the fronton, and the bar. I’ve driven through a few times, though never really stopped to explore. At one time, outside of town, there were three Telleria baserriak. My friend Joseba Etxarri helped me find them and I took my mom there once. All three have collapsed and are overrun with weeds.

I’d heard stories that Blas was a merchant marine and that, during one of his voyages, he jumped ship somewhere in South America and made his way north to the United States. However, he also appears in the records on Ellis Island, meaning he came the more typical way. Whatever the story, after arriving in the United States in 1900, he made his way to Idaho and then Oregon. He first herded sheep until he earned enough money to buy his own flock, which at one point numbered some 8,000. In 1911, he married Ines Eiguren, who had also made her way to that same small town in Oregon. Blas had a number of siblings back in Mutiloa, but if he kept any kind of contact with them, I have no idea. All connections to that side of the family have been lost. Interestingly, there is a Telleria family in Mutiloa that makes cheese. I’ve tried to reach out to them to see if they might be related, but have not had any response…

While it doesn’t seem Blas had any specific draw to Jordan Valley – there was no one there that encouraged him to come – Ines had her uncle, Jose Navarro. Along with his partner Antonio Azcuenaga, Jose was possibly the first Basque to reach Jordan Valley and the US northwest. Jose encouraged a number of his nephews and nieces to come to Oregon, and Ines was one of them. Ines came from an extremely large family – in all, she had 13 siblings. I had the fortune to meet two of the youngest girls – Filomena and Josefa – in Lekeitio when I went there for the first time in 1991-92. They had never married, instead taking on the task of caring for their elderly mother. By the time I met them, they were quite old themselves, their mother having long passed. It seems they hadn’t approved of their brother-in-law Blas, though exactly why, I cannot say.

Three Telleria baserriak, now in ruins. It’s been a while, but I believe these photos were taken by Joseba Etxarri. Thanks to Lisa Van De Graaff for scanning them for me.

Ines was born in 1892 and her parents, Jose Eiguren and Jacoba Navarro (Jose’s older sister), lived in a small house on the estate of the Adán de Yarza family, a wealthy family who had gained even more wealth by bringing pine trees from the United States to the Basque Country. (All those pines that cover the Basque Country? They aren’t native…) Jose and Jacoba worked as the groundskeepers for the Adán de Yarza family and their house sat on the banks of the river. The Adán de Yarza’s palace has now been turned into a hotel and I believe that Jose and Jacoba’s place still sits behind it.

Blas’s second surname was Goya. Yeah, the same as that Goya. The famous Goya’s great-great grandfather was from Zerain, which is not far from Mutiloa. I’ve always wondered if there was a connection but I have yet to demonstrate one.

Blas died long before I was born – he died before my mom was born – in 1943. Ines was much younger and lived a longer life. She died in 1979, after I was born so I’m sure I met her, but I have no memories of her. Of course, I got my name from Blas.

Basque Fact of the Week, Diaspora, People

Basque Fact of the Week: Domingo Bastanchury, the “Father of Fullerton”

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So many of the Basques that immigrated to the United States made a huge and lasting mark on their local communities. We are all familiar with the Basque communities of Boise and San Francisco, and the men and women who built them. However, the Basque influence reaches so much further. Domingo Bastanchury, sometimes called the Father of Fullerton, was one such pioneer. At one point, the ranch he started held the largest citrus grove in the world.

Portrait of Domingo Bastanchury. Photo from Fullerton History.
  • Domingo Bastanchury was born in Aldudes, Nafarroa Beherea in 1838 or 1839. His father was Gracian Bastanchury. At the age of 21, Domingo left Europe, sailing around the cape of South America to reach California after six months. He set foot in San Francisco on October 12, 1859. There, he began his career as a sheep and cattle herder.
  • In 1874, he married Maria Oxarat (written as Oxarart in some texts), who was also from Aldudes. While Domingo was herding sheep, Maria was at home, raising their family in a small house miles from anyone else. They had four sons – Gaston, Joseph, John, and Dominic.
  • As a herder, Bastanchury saved his money and soon acquired his own land and sheep. At one point, he was the largest sheep herder in what was then Los Angeles Country (now Orange County), owning between 15 and 20,000 sheep. He also owned some 8000-10000 acres of land near present-day Fullerton that he originally herded on. He was the first Basque sheepman to raise sheep in the area. The first laborers on his ranch were Native Americans.
  • After his death in 1909, his sons eventually shifted to growing citrus trees – at one time they had the largest citrus grove in the world. Particularly after World War I, their production of fruit became prolific and was known across the world. However, during the Great Depression, much of the family’s holdings had to be sold off.
  • Bastanchury’s impact on the economics of the area were so profound that he was sometimes called the “father of Fullerton.” Some accounts call him the first non-native person to settle in the area.
  • As many Basque immigrants, Bastanchury didn’t speak English when he arrived in the United States. In fact, he never learned to read or write the language, instead relying upon Maria to do the books for the business. In fact, not long after getting married, Bastanchury had sent his new bride to the Sisters of Charity Catholic School in Los Angeles to learn English and accounting.
  • On their ranch, the Bastanchurys had a fronton where other Basques, several recruited from the old country to work on the ranch, would gather and play pelota.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Fame for Immigrant Boy Started Bastanchury Ranch, Roch Bradshaw, Orange County Historical Society; Fullerton History; Various newspaper clippings about Basques, including Bastanchury

Basque Fact of the Week, Euskara

Basque Fact of the Week: Some Special Basque Words

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The Basque newspaper Deia (the oldest Basque newspaper) has been running a series of articles in their Contando Historias section about Basque words and phrases, calling out the most beautiful, the oldest, and the most common Basque words used in daily life. Such lists are always subjective and Deia has resorted to using artificial intelligence and the opinions of TikTokkers for these lists, but it still offers an interesting perspective on the language.

Egunsentia, or dawn, over Araba, taken by Jabi Artaraz. He has a lot of amazing photos on his Flickr account.
  • The Basque word most used in daily life: Agur is the word most used in daily life in the Basque Country, even among non-Basque speakers. Nominally meaning goodbye, agur is much richer than that, with a variety of meanings based on context. In modern Basque society, agur has become an expression of identity, of cultural belonging.
  • The most common Basque greeting: The Basque word aupa can be used in almost any context. Often used to mean hello, it can be used in a more formal setting with coworkers or a more familiar setting with friends and family.
  • The three most beautiful Basque words (at least according to social media account Guk Green): These words are beautiful, both because of how they sound but also how their meaning arises as compound words in Euskara.
    • Egunsentia (dawn): egun (day) + sentitu (feel); literally feeling the day
    • Eskuzabal (generous): esku (hand) + zabala (width); literally wide or open hand
    • Otsaila (February): otsoa (wolf) + hilabete (month); literally month of the wolf
  • Basque words used to express anger: This same TikTokker Guk Green describes Basque words used when we get angry with someone:
    • Txoriburu: Literally meaning bird-head, it is used to describe someone who is simple-minded.
    • Pikutara joan: When you want someone to go away, you can say pikutara joan, which means “go get figs.”
    • Babalore: With a literal meaning of “flower of the bean,” this again means someone who is dull or stupid. But, in the right context, it can mean beautiful.
  • The oldest Basque word in daily use: I guess I’m not sure how much I trust it, but according to Deia, an artificial intelligence model has indicated that the two oldest words in Euskara that are in common daily use are aita (father) and ama (mother). They go on to describe how aita has Castilian roots and ama has similarities with the word for mother in many languages. They then discuss theories of how Euskara is related to Georgian, a theory that Larry Trask would certainly place in his bongo-bongo list.
  • The most beautiful Basque names: Again turning to AI, Deia asked what was the most beautiful Basque names. I’m not sure how fruitful such queries are, but in any case, this was the answer:
    • “The perception of what constitutes a “pretty” name can vary widely between different people and cultures. However, many consider the name “Ane” to be one of the prettiest in the Basque language. “Ane” is the Basque form of “Ana” or “Anna” and is popular for its simplicity and sweetness. Other Basque names that are also highly regarded include “Aitor” for males, meaning “father of the Basque race,” and “Nerea” for females, meaning “mine” or “my own.” Each of these names has a pleasant sound and deep cultural significance, making them especially beloved in the Basque community and beyond.”

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Sources are in the links in the main text.

Uncategorized

AITA, an unfortunate acronym

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Aita or AITA…?

When our daughter was born, we decided that she would call me aita, and she does, which I think is supercool. It sometimes causes a bit of confusion, as some of her friends think that’s my actual name, it being so foreign to their ears. But I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

However, when you search for “aita” in Google, the first thing that comes up has nothing to do with your dad, or my dad, or indeed anyone’s dad, in Basque or otherwise. Instead, it is a subreddit for people to get opinions on conflicts they’ve been part of. How does this relate to aita? Well, the subreddit is called r/AmITheA$$hole. The whole point of the subreddit is for people to ask AITA for some scenario. That is, were they the bad guy in that situation, or was the other person? Or was no one? Or everyone?

As one example, here is a post that is Basque related:

A friend of a friend is a wildlife educator who leads animal tracking trips. On one such trip (I paid him like any other client of his) we were on a long hike where we shared family stories. I mentioned my Korean heritage, and he mentioned that his father’s paternal grandfather had emigrated from the Basque region of Spain. Later that weekend, I made a passing reference to his “Spanish ancestry”and he quickly corrected me that he’s Basque and proceeded to lecture me on why I should never confuse the two identities. He acted offended and it all felt kinda finger-waggy. I still apologized, to which he responded, “it would be like if I called you Japanese instead of Korean.” To which I said, “it’s not like that at all. And I’d prefer to be called American, because I was born here.” Frankly, I was annoyed that this white man felt entitled to draw equivalencies to my identity. Whereas my lived experience with immigrant parents included overt racism and othering, his loudly calling out his great-grandfather’s origin is an entirely elective source of pride — which I don’t begrudge him at all; it simply explains my irritation in this context. My view is, I’m paying him to educate me about birds and animals, not identity politics. Still, I decided to stay pleasant and changed the subject back to wildlife questions. But he was clearly pissed about my earlier comment and gave me the cold shoulder for the rest of the trip. AITA?

(The point in sharing this isn’t to judge the original poster, but to give an example of the kind of queries that are asked in this subreddit.)

That’s not the only meaning of aita. It can also refer to a Bedouin musical style, a river in Romania, a dialect of the Rotokas language, or even the All India Tennis Association. However, I suspect it will end up meaning AmITheA$$hole to most non-Basques…

Basque Fact of the Week, People

Basque Fact of the Week: The Adán de Yarza Family of Bizkaia

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The Basque Country is remarkable for how lush it is – green pine trees cover the landscape. But, did you know that those pines aren’t native to the Basque Country? They were brought from California by Carlos Adán de Yarza. Carlos was but one in a long line of Adán de Yarzas that made their mark on the Basque Country, whether in commerce, politics, or even science. I have a personal familial connection to them: my great-great-grandparents were their groundskeepers.

Photo of Ramón Adán de Yarza, geologist who studied the caves of the Basque Country. Photo from Auñamendi Encyclopedia.
  • The Adán de Yarza – written Adan de Iartza in modern Euskara – has been in the area of Ispaster/Lekeitio since before the 14th century. Back then, the family was involved with the War of the Bands, and the palace was a tower-house, typical of the lords of the time. The family fought on the side of the Oñacinos. In fact, they played a major role in the wars, as it was an Adán de Yarza and his son that killed the patriarch of the Arancibia family, starting the war between the two.
  • Their status as a powerful family is attested by the fact that Rodrigo Adán de Yarza was mayor of the area in 1338. In 1342, we find Pedro Adán de Yarza amongst the mayors of Bizkaia that gathered under the Tree of Gernika to negotiate with the king that the rights and fueros of the Basques be respected. Since the beginning, the Adán de Yarza family has been a powerful force in the politics of Bizkaia.
  • As I mentioned in an earlier post, pine trees were brought to the Basque Country by the Adán de Yarza. The Pinus radiata, originally from California, was first brought to the Basque Country by Carlos Adán de Yarza. He planted the first specimens in his palatial gardens at the Zubieta Palace in Ispaster/Lekeitio. Carlos was both mayor of Bilbo and Deputy General of Bizkaia.
  • However, it was his son Marío that really introduced them to the Basque mountainside. Marío had been a councilor of Bilbo and Deputy General of Bizkaia before devoting himself to forestry sometime around 1877. In an irony of history, Marío was present at the General Assembly that tried to prevent the law that abolished the Basque fueros, to no avail.
  • Another son of Carlos’s, Ramón, went in to engineering, particularly mining, completing his studies in 1871 in Bilbo. Ramón became well known as an authority on the caves of Bizkaia and geology more broadly. As one example, he and his brother-in-law undertook the first scientific investigations of the Atxurra cave in 1882. He also became an authority on petrography, or the study and classification of rocks. He discovered the mineral fortunite (hyalo-enstatite-phlogopite lamproite).

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Historia del Palacio de Zubieta;

Basque Fact of the Week, Euskadi

Basque Fact of the Week: Universal Nobility of the Basques

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All Basques are nobles, or so it’s said. This is one reason that Basques were so prevalent in the military – they had opportunities only afforded to nobles. The reality is a bit more complicated. Only some Basques, or better said only some provinces, enjoyed this so-called universal nobility. And for most, it didn’t really change their lives significantly as they still toiled away at the same jobs they had anyways. But, it did open doors for many and is yet another remarkable feature of the Basques.

Some of the surnames in my lineage and coats-of-arms associated with those names, thanks to Xabier Ormaetxea. It would seem my grandmother’s second surname – Idoeta – doesn’t have a proof of nobility associated with it.
  • It was in the Fuero Nuevo, or New Charter, of Bizkaia of 1526 that universal nobility was first granted to all Bizkaians. Before 1526, a majority of Basques were already considered noble in most areas, except for Araba where only 25% of the local population were noble. But, in much of the rest of the region, some 50-70% were already. The Fuero Nuevo made that 100%, in Bizkaia.
  • The reasons are complex. As argued by Arturo Aldecoa, the Fuero Nuevo arose from the previous setbacks of the higher nobility in various conflicts. They were losing power to the towns in the Juntas Generales. Aldecoa says that the Fuero Nuevo essentially fortified the power of the jauntxos – the rulers of the countryside – and that universal nobility was a bone for the common man, to placate the townsfolk so that the jauntxos, in reality, kept their power.
  • Universal nobility didn’t change the daily lives of many people. While they were now effectively equal under the law, they didn’t have the resources and the like of the jauntxos and had to keep working to survive.
  • In 1610, Gipuzkoa followed suit and all residents were declared noble, though already in 1527 there was a proclamation that only nobles could own a house in the province, effectively making all Gipuzkoans nobles. Araba and Nafarroa never made the same move, so, strictly, universal nobility is not something that all Basques shared, just those from Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.
  • Even in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, universal nobility was not universal as it didn’t apply to all people. To be a noble, one had to have a family tradition in the province and had to have “purity of blood.” They had to be connected to a baserri. They also had to be “free of any evil blood such as Jewish, Muslim or any other sect condemned by the Holy Office of the Inquisition.” Eventually, it was decreed that, ever since the Biblical flood, Gipuzkoans had been Gipuzkoans, hadn’t mixed with anyone, and thus were inherently noble.
  • Of course, being a noble conveyed several privileges, including exemption from paying certain taxes, performing non-naval military service, and enjoying ancient privileges. Thus, Bizkaians and Gipuzkoans who found themselves in other parts of Castile would often try to prove their nobility to gain these privileges. Later, only nobles, true residents of the provinces not just mere inhabitants, could participate in government, effectively excluding those inhabitants from the political process.
  • Another consequence of universal nobility that I’ve heard of, but haven’t found a source for, is that what we would call traveling salesmen then went door to door, trying to sell coats-of-arms to the new nobles. After all, what is a noble without a coat-of-arms? Strictly, coats-of-arms are connected with a specific person and can be passed on to their eldest son, but are not associated with an entire family or a given surname.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Hidalguía universal e igualitarismo by Arturo Aldecoa, Deia; Soria Sesé, María Lourdes. Hidalguía universal. Auñamendi Encyclopedia. Available at: https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/en/hidalguia-universal/ar-59328/; Universal nobility, Gipuzkoa Museo Birtuala

Misc

A Curious Exchange with ChatGPT

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I just had this exchange with ChatGPT… it wasn’t as accurate as I might have expected… We still have time before AI takes over the world…

You said: what is bubers Basque page?

ChatGPT said: Buber’s Basque Page, also known as Buber’s Basque Page, is a website dedicated to the Basque language and culture. It was created by Jeff D. Buber and offers a range of resources related to the Basque language (Euskara), including language learning materials, information about Basque culture and history, and various linguistic resources. The site serves as a valuable tool for both learners and enthusiasts of the Basque language and culture.

You said: who is Jeff buber

ChatGPT said: Jeff D. Buber is a linguist and educator known for his work in promoting the Basque language and culture. He created Buber’s Basque Page, a comprehensive resource for learners of Euskara (the Basque language). His site provides various tools and materials to help with learning Basque, including language lessons, grammar guides, and cultural information. Buber’s work has been instrumental in supporting the study and dissemination of Basque linguistic and cultural knowledge.

You said: Bubers basque page was not created by Jeff buber 

ChatGPT said: You’re correct; I apologize for the error. Buber’s Basque Page was actually created by David M. Bubenheim. The website is a resource for learning about the Basque language and culture, offering a range of materials including language lessons, dictionaries, and cultural insights. David M. Bubenheim’s work has contributed significantly to making information about the Basque language more accessible to a wider audience.

You said: Bubers basque page was not created by David M. Bubenheim

ChatGPT said: You are right, and I apologize for the confusion. Buber’s Basque Page was created by Alan R. Buber. The website provides resources for learning the Basque language, including grammar guides, vocabulary lists, and cultural information. Alan R. Buber’s work has been valuable in supporting the study and appreciation of Basque language and culture.

You said: Bubers basque page was not created by Alan Buber 

ChatGPT said: I apologize for the inaccuracies in my previous responses. Buber’s Basque Page was actually created by Buber, a pseudonymous individual who remains anonymous in the context of the website. The site provides resources for learning about the Basque language and culture, including language lessons, grammar guides, and cultural information. Thank you for your patience as we corrected this information.

You said: bubers basque page was created by Blas Uberuaga 

ChatGPT said: You are correct. Buber’s Basque Page was indeed created by Blas Uberuaga. The website serves as a resource for those interested in learning about the Basque language and culture, offering various educational materials and cultural insights. Thank you for pointing out the correct information.