Diaspora, Music, Travel

Memories of Jaialdi

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The title of this post may strike some as romantic, but really it’s just that it has been so long since Jaialdi and taken me so long to do this post, that indeed I’m working on memories, and I don’t have the best of memories in the first place…

For those that don’t know, Jaialdi is the big Basque festival held every 5 years in Boise, Idaho over St. Ignatius weekend (the last weekend in July).  It brings Basques from all over the world together for a weekend of dance, music, sports, drink, and fun.  In fact, many come from the Basque Country itself, drawn by old friends or the reputation of a big party in the US, including my dad’s brother Antonio and his wife Eli, the first time they’ve come to the US.

We didn’t make it to every event but we did our best.  We started with Sports Night, on Thursday.  I went with my brother, my dad, and Antonio and Eli.  It was held right down town, across the street from the Basque Block in the same arena that the Boise hockey team plays in.  It was laid out with logs for the aizkolariak and stones for the harrijasotzaileak, as well as some other typical events.  Most I’d seen before, but there were a few, such as the relay carrying the heavy sack, that I did not.  One event, in which contestants try to pitch a bale of hay over a bar that is raised with each successful toss, was new to my uncle.  He had never seen that event in Bizkaia. At one point, two harrijasotzaileak “competed” with one another, each carrying a 100 lb stone around the arena.  One had to quit quickly, possibly having pulled something.  The other, though, hammed it up, engaging the crowd as he stood there, holding this huge stone in his lap.  When the night was over, children rushed into the arena, finding wood chips for the athletes to sign.

It was an interesting perspective, watching these events in this crowd.  On one side, I had my uncle, who is as much of a sports fan as any.  However, one thing you don’t realize as a Basque-American watching these sports, which we see only every so often in typically heavy doses, is that in the Basque Country, this is every day stuff.  As such, they don’t have such concentrated showings of it; festivals might have a few sporting exhibitions, but not hours worth.  My uncle was getting a little bored with it, though he of course got into it whenever things got exciting.  On my other side were some non-Basques who I guess had thought they’d check out some local color or something.  It was interesting and a bit odd hearing their commentary.  They sort of mocked what they saw, commenting on how simplistic the sporting events were, comparing them to the “sophistication” of American sports.  It showed they didn’t have much of a true idea of what the Basque Country is about and how this is one slice of the sporting scene in the Basque Country, maybe somewhat analogous to a rodeo in the US West.

On Friday, after attending NABO’s Annual Convention at which the New Mexico Euskal Etxea was officially accepted as a member, we headed to the Basque Block to check out the festivities.  And it was completely packed, from one end of the block to the other!  I must imagine that this was the best attended Jaialdi to date!  There were so many people that it was difficult to maneuver through the crowd.  It was that way Thursday night as well, though during the day, the heat added a level of discomfort.  But, people were singing, dancing, drinking and eating — generally having a wonderful time.  Again, I wondered about the demographics of the crowd.  It felt like there were just as many people who maybe had no Basque ties but were looking for a good way to spend the weekend.  This is a testament to the reputation of the Basques in Boise.

During the weekend, especially during the day, festivities moved to the Fair Grounds.  The official opening ceremonies were on Saturday morning and, as a representative of NMEE, I was asked to carry the New Mexico flag in the procession.  While waiting for things to start, I was able to wander a little behind the scenes, where the various dance groups were organizing themselves.  While adults shepherded children and tried to get them lined up in some semblance of an order, some of the groups did last minute practices of their dances.  Compared to when I was a kid doing these dances, there were a lot more groups with a lot more different costumes.  Especially noticeable were the girls’ dressed in blue, in contrast to the typical red, black, and white.  The opening ceremonies tried to bring together all of the groups who were to perform over the weekend, including the Klika from Chino, a number of groups from the Basque Country, and of course all of the dance groups from the US.  It was an awesome beginning to the weekend.

After that, all of my official duties were over, so I just enjoyed Jaialdi as much as I could.  My family joined me when they were able, and overall we had a wonderful time. This year, the vendor booths were moved inside to escape the heat and that was a superb change.  I remember last time that the heat (it reached 100 every day) and the wind kicking up the dirt at the fair grounds sometimes made being outside a bit unpleasant.  By moving the vendors indoors, they made that part much better than it had been.  A number of friends were manning booths, so it was great chatting with them, especially a few who I had only known before via Internet, not in person.

Truly, the best part of Jaialdi is seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We ran into a lot of friends from our days in Seattle, who have a group that is going very strong, thanks in large part to the influx of new Basques into the area, who I had the great pleasure to meet.  We also ran into Joseba Etxarri, who is still a big fixture in many Basque festivals in the US.  One notable absence was Aita Tillouis, who passed away recently, but who was always a big presence in so many Basque gatherings.  But, it is the friends that make Jaialdi such a wonderful experience and, I have to admit, one of the things I lamented just a little.  Jaialdi has grown so big, it is less intimate, with so many people that you don’t bump into a friend around every corner, at least not as much.  Maybe for people who live in Boise it isn’t that way, but it was a little more that way for me than it had been in years past.  That said, it was still an awesome weekend and I’ll definitely be attending the next one in 2015.

Admin

Doing some “house cleaning”

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I’ve got a lot of things I want to write about, including our time at Jaialdi, my uncle in Spain, and more.  But, I’ve also been working on finally updating the main index pages (the pages that are linked from the menus on the left), both updating the look and fixing all of the bad links (which are numerous).  I’ve gotten two done, Euskara and Diaspora.  I’d welcome any thoughts/comments/criticisms people have.

Nor Naiz Gu Gara

Nor Naiz, Gu Gara: Gonzalo Aranguren

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Nor Naiz, Gu Gara (Who I Am, We Are) is a series aiming to explore the meaning of Basque Identity around the world, both within Euskal Herria as well as in the diaspora.  For an introduction to the series, look here, and for a list of the previous entries, look here.

What does being Basque mean to me?

This is a question applicable to a citizen of any country, whether American, French, Italian… It is a sense of identity and closeness to the local culture and traditions. To give an example, last weekend I went with an association from Iparralde (Itxas Begia) to participate in a representation of the way iron mineral used to be transported from Somorrostro, in Bizkaia, with sailboats all the way to Askain in Lapurdi, and from there all the way to Urdax in Nafarroa. Once in Urdax, the monks used to buy the mineral because it was considered to be of very high quality. During the event the language spoken by the people from Iparralde, Bizkaia and Nafarroa was Basque, and the whole celebration was part of a common culture and tradition. I felt a sense of belonging and enjoyment that is unique because I feel attached to the culture. I only speak a little bit of Basque but understand it quite well. Basque identity is not exclusive to the Basque speakers.

Gonzalo was born in Bilbao in the Clinica Aranguren in 1966, his father being from Bilbao and his mother from San Francisco, California of Irish origin. Her ancestors arrived in SF in December 1849. Gonzalo was raised in a Basque/American family and he previously lived in the USA for 7 years and 1 year in London. He has worked in the private sector but for the last 4 years he has worked for NGOs in India, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Argentina and Honduras, and in the headquarters in Donostia since his first child was born. He am also a translator of English / Spanish and works as a free lance for various business.

Nor Naiz Gu Gara

Nor Naiz, Gu Gara: Pedro Oiarzabal

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Nor Naiz, Gu Gara (Who I Am, We Are) is a series aiming to explore the meaning of Basque Identity around the world, both within Euskal Herria as well as in the diaspora.  For an introduction to the series, look here, and for a list of the previous entries, look here.

The Trees, The Forest, and The Roots: On The Basque Global Identity
By Pedro J. Oiarzabal

On not seeing the forest for the trees

The study of the elusive and complex concept of identity, and particularly of that of migrants and their descendants, has attracted the attention of many scholars from a variety of disciplines. Common knowledge suggests that all individuals have their own unique sense of identity. Consequently, there might be as many identities as individuals. This might be the case for those who identify as Basque, in the homeland as well as in the diaspora. Our understanding of Basqueness is shaped, for instance, by our own life stories, socialization processes, socio-historical contexts, and ideological traditions. Indeed, there are as many ways to experience and express a single collective identity as the individuals that are part of such social group. However, this fact cannot force us to ignore the existence of collective identities such as of the Basque.

That is to say, in our world-spanning Basque forest, individual trees should not obstruct the vision of the forest, but, instead, they should enrich it. Paraphrasing a popular saying, it is not the forest that explains the trees, but the trees are the ones that give meaning to the forest; and even more, the roots of the trees are those that maintain alive the forest. The roots are, to a certain extent, our collective memory as Basques. In a sense, our collective memory and shared sense of being and belonging provide a solid guide to interpret our present world. Could we imagine ourselves without memory? Let´s think for a moment that we lose our memory; then, let´s ask ourselves who am I? Who are we?

Pedro J. Oiarzabal was born and raised in Bilbao and has spent much of his life between the Basque Country, Ireland and the United States. He holds a PhD in Basque Studies-Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno, a MPhil in Economics and Social Sciences from Queen’s University of Belfast (N. Ireland), and BA in History from the University of Deusto (Bilbao). Currently, Oiarzabal is a Research Scholar on International Migration at the University of Deusto, Bilbao. His research examines diaspora creation and diaspora interaction with information and communication technologies as well as the meaning of identity in both homeland and diaspora realities, with particular emphasis on the Basque case. Among his publications are La Identidad Vasca en el Mundo (2005), A Candle in the Night: Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, 1967-2007 (2007), Gardeners of Identity: Basques in the San Francisco Bay Area (2009), and Diasporas in the New Media Age: Identity, Politics, and Community (2010).

Books, Euskara

Basque ABC book?

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On the way to work this morning, I heard a story on NPR about a woman of Puerto Rican heritage from north Philly that wrote an ABC book from her neighborhood’s perspective.  It got me thinking what would an ABC book from a Basque-American perspective look like?  Some of my thoughts are below, any others?

A is for Aitxitxa and Amuma, who left the Old Country to find a better life.

B is for Basajaun, lord of the forest, and the first blacksmith.

C is for Chorizo, the Basque hotdog!

Euskara, Websites

.eus

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Paul Etxeberri alerted me to the .eus campaign to create a Top Level Domain for the Basque Country.  From puntueus.org, the website promoting this effort:

“An endangered language will progress if its speakers can make use of electronic technology”
David Crystal [ Cambridge University, 2004 ]

“languages without social prestige will disappear”
Amadeu Abril i Abril [ .cat domain ]

The Basque language, Euskara, faces a new challenge: creating its own name on the Internet. In this virtual space, both the existence of something as well as its name go hand in hand. Therefore, something unnamed simply does not exist. And that is the goal that the Community of the Basque Language and Culture [EEKK, according to its initials in Euskara] wants to achieve: the creation of a symbol that allows its international recognition in the virtual space of the Internet: the .EUS domain.

This is why we have started the PuntuEus Association: in order to assure and control .EUS domain creation process.

People, Photos, Tattoos

A Basque tribute in body art

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If you’ve never seen the man, he is down-right impressive. John Ochandorena Descarga, better known as simply Johnny O, is a walking tribute to the Basques, their culture, their history, and his ancestry.  With two arm sleaves, tats up and down his legs and across his chest, Johnny definitely stands out in a crowd.  I had the pleasure of meeting Johnny about 14 years ago at a small festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Gauden Bat, the dance group Johnny was a part of, performed.  Maybe a little intimidating at first, due to the abundance of ink on his body, he was a great guy.  It was a great event overall.

Johnny has sent photos of all of the work he has had done, a project that continues to evolve, most recently including the footprints of his daughter, right in the middle of his chest!  Because of the number of photos, I’ve created a separate gallery for Johnny’s tattoos, and he’s given explanations for each one, with photos from multiple perspectives of each arm and leg.

While such ink is not for everyone, it is still a wonder what Johnny has done.  I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next!

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Books, People

Joanes or the Basque Whaler by Guillermo Zubiaga

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Regular readers of Buber’s Basque Page are probably familiar with Guillermo Zubiaga.  Originally from Bilbao, Guillermo now resides in New York.  A graphic artist, he has worked for some of the big comic book companies, including Marvel and Dark Horse.  Recently, Guillermo combined two of his passions — the visual arts and Basque history — into a vivid tale of the daring exploits of Basque mariners on the high seas as they search for the prized catch of the day, whales.

Joanes or the Basque Whaler is inspired by the oldest known texts to be produced in North America, the last will and testament of Joanes de Echaniz, a Basque whaler.  The story follows a fictionalized Joanes as he tries to make his fortune as a whaler in an era when the whales in the Bay of Biscay were scarce.  Joanes is forced to look farther afield, but he doesn’t have the resources to do so.  This is when Guillermo begins to depart from historical fact and weave in elements of Basque mythology.  Joanes consults a witch, who summons a devil from the sea who assists Joanes, but for a price.  The first book ends with the threat of that price tempering the success Joanes and his crew have just had in their first hunt.

The story is told mostly via the visuals, with just enough text to push the story along.  And this both suits the story as well as highlights Guillermo’s talents as an artist.  The detail he brings to the art is wonderful, especially the various types of ships, the animals, and the cities.  He misses no chance to fold in Basque symbolism. His mariners are covered in tattoos of Basque symbols.  His witches wear traditional Basque dress.  Joanes’ boat is also covered in lauburus and rosettas.  But where Guillermo’s art shines, in my opinion, is in the faces of his characters.  They are all distinct and their facial expressions convey the action of the story as strongly as does the text.

Joanes or the Basque Whaler is a fantastic blend of history and mythology that leads to an amazing adventure in what Guillermo refers to as the Wild West era of Basque history, of daring men, amazing exploits, and a vast wilderness.  This is only the first book of a series, and I’m very interested to see where Joanes’ adventures lead him.

Nor Naiz Gu Gara

Nor Naiz, Gu Gara: Blas Uberuaga

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Nor Naiz, Gu Gara (Who I Am, We Are) is a series aiming to explore the meaning of Basque Identity around the world, both within Euskal Herria as well as in the diaspora.  For an introduction to the series, look here.

Blas and his father, Pedro.I am an American, born and raised.  And I’m extremely proud of that fact.  My boyhood hero was Thomas Jefferson and I think that the collection of men that founded the United States was one of the greatest ever assembled.  Growing up in the US, I had an immediate connection to these men, and the others that helped form the US through the history classes I took and the books I read.  However, my connection to these men is a result of no more a coincidence than I was born in the nation they helped found.

My dad isn’t an American.  A Basque immigrant who came to the US to herd sheep, looking for opportunity, he grew up in Franco Spain.  And my grandfather, while born in the US, was the son of two Basque immigrants.  Their histories are not that of the founding fathers, the American Revolution, and the Civil War.  Rather, their’s is of the Carlist Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the repression of Basque culture; of whalers daring the high seas and an origin lost to history.

It is this reason that I personally identify so strongly as not just American, but Basque-American.  It is an avenue by which I connect to the history and experience of my ancestors, of the people who came before me, but didn’t have the same national narrative.  It gives me some idea, as basic as it might be, of the person my father is, of the boy he was.

And it has gone beyond that as I have delved into the Basque culture.  My dad’s Basque Country was a very different place than the Basque Country of today.  But that connection to the old Basque Country, through my dad, gives me a connection as well to the modern Basque Country, with its punk rock and kalimotxos and Guggenheim museum.  The initial bond through my dad has grown into my own identification, though remote, with the Basque Country as a place that, in some sense, I connect with, that is a sort of home for me.  It is the place of my ancestors, but it is also a place they would be hard pressed to recognize and it is therefore a place also uniquely mine.

Blas Uberuaga

Blas is the son and great-grandson of Basque immigrants to the American West, Basques who left their home in search of better opportunities.  He spent one year in Donosti attempting, with only limited success, to learn Euskara.  He is the creator of Buber’s Basque Page.

Nor Naiz Gu Gara

Nor Naiz, Gu Gara / Who I Am, We Are

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Buber’s Basque Page has been silent a while, as I’ve had work travel and of course Jaialdi (which I hope to write about soon) during the last couple of months.

That said, I’d like to break the silence with a new series, entitled “Nor Naiz, Gu Gara”, roughly translated as “Who I Am, We Are.”  The goal is to explore what it means to be Basque, from many different perspectives.  The question of Basque identity is complex.  For some, being Basque begins and ends at speaking Euskara, hence the word Euskaldun.  For others, it means having so many Basque surnames in your genealogy.  For yet others, it is an expression of their heritage via dance or music.  This series aims to explore these different facets of what it means to be Basque, from Basques all over the world.

I’ve invited a few friends and acquaintances to help me kick this series off, and their postings will be showing up over the coming weeks.  I’ll begin with my own, in the very next post.  Any and all who would like to participate, please feel free to send me a couple of paragraphs about what being Basque means to you, why it is important to you, why identifying yourself as Basque is something you do.  I can’t promise all will make it on the site, but I will do my best.

All of the postings in this series can be found via this link.

Now, on with the show!