Tag Archives: arboglyphs

A Donkey from Munitibar Wanders Here: An Interview with Professor Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe

For centuries, the history of the Basques has been written by non-Basques – we have so little historical documentation written directly in Euskara or even by Basque themselves. Thus, when we find any hint of Basque history written by Basques, we must examine it to the fullest. The unassuming carvings left by Basque sheepherders in […]

The Good and the Bad about Basque Arboglyphs

A lot of the men that came to the United States were barely more than boys. Suddenly, they found themselves alone in the hills of west, tending herds of sheep with little more company than their dog. It’s no surprise, then, that many of them left their signature behind. Tagging the trees like urban kids […]

Thoughts on Longmire: Death Came in Like Thunder

On June 10th, A&E broadcast the episode of Longmire that features the crew dealing with a Basque community in Wyoming, Death Came in Like Thunder. For those who missed it but are interested in seeing it, you can catch it on A&E’s website. The plot centers around the murder of a Basque sheepherder, the grandson […]

Basque Arboglyphs

Long-time Basque historian, and frequent contributor to Buber’s Basque Pages, Joxe Mallea, has done a lot of work documenting Basque history recorded on the trees of the American West.  Joxe has decided to start a website (since, as his daughter says, no one reads books anymore) that will showcase many of the arboglyphs he has […]