EuskalKultura has made the difficult decision to cancel the English edition of its bulletin. Last week’s will be the last one for now. A decided militant commitment to Basque culture and the Basque Diaspora have been hallmarks of EuskalKultura from its inception, without making the economic aspects the priority (because if not, we would surely not have even started the EuskalKultura project).  In the end, a big mistake, because we have never had an institution, sponsor or patron behind us to absorb the deficits that cultural projects usually enjoy. The aid we do receive from institutions, although appreciated, cannot guarantee our continuity.

To start with, the English edition of our newsletter.

This year, we celebrate 20 years online.  And we have been dragging for a long time.  Willing but not being able, working without means.

Beginning now, and through the end of the year, we will go throught a process of reflection about our future and the prospects of continuing the project it, as well as about its financing.

If you would like more information or you would like to share your ideas, opinions, comments and contribuite, write us at info@euskalkultura.eus.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our English subscribers, for being there, reading and supporting our project all these years.  We will see where this ends up, but as the Basque proverb says, "Gaizki esanak barkatu, eta ondo esanak gogoan hartu" (Forgive what we said incorrectly, and remember what we said well).

Eskerrik asko.

Miguel Boado isn’t just a member but has also become one of the pillars of the Olavarria Basque Club.  Although a Basque descendant --his family tree includes the surnames Bergara and Urbina -- it was through his daughters, who began dancing with the club dantzaris, that he joined Gure Etxe Maitea.  That is when he began collaborating in various activities especially in the area of cooking.

When asked about how the idea of a pilgrimage to Lujan came about, Boada shared with EuskalKultura.eus a personal experience: “Some years ago, my mother had a serious health issue and I made a promise to the Virgin: if she made her well, I would walk to the Basilica.”

“Something similar happened,” he continued, “when the Basque Club dreamed of participating in the Semana Nacional Vasca in 2019, but we didn’t have a complete dance group.  I also entrusted myself to the Virgin.  Both times I had an answer and so that is why I have made the trek more than once.”

To cover the 360 kilometers between Olavarria and Juan, Miguel Boado needed 9 days and several pairs of alpargatas.  The flying Ikurriña accompanied him on each step even when he arrived to his destination and entered the Basilica.

[Miguel Boado entering the Basilica in Lujan, patron of Argentina (video MB)]

Saladillo and a call to the Basques

During the trip, Boado was spending the night in different cities. Half way there he arrived in Saladillo where he couldn’t find a hotel and so he sought “refuge,” at the local Euskal Etxea. “The folks at the Itxaropen Basque Club not only welcomed me but they gave me a place to sleep in the clubhouse.  I arrived one day they were preparing a paella to sell and so I got to work with them,” he explained.

After the pilgrimage and back home in Olavarria, Miguel Boado only has words of thanks for everyone who encouraged him in this project, especially the Gure Etxe Maitea Basque Club where they facilitated the conditions for him to make the trip.

“It is a beautiful experience that I would like to share with other Basques.  I would like to invite anyone interested to repeat the pilgrimage next year.  Anyone interested would only need to make it to Olavarria, and in regards to the rest of the expense, we will work all year to raise money as we did now,” he commented.

 If you would like to join Miguel on the pilgrimage, all you have to do is get in touch with the Euskal Etxea on Facebook: Centro Vasco Olavarría Gure Etxe Maitea.

As we published yesterday, the 31st edition of the AEMI (Association of European Migration Institutions) Conference will take place this Thursday and Friday organized by the Basque Government’s Directorate of the Basque Community Abroad.  The conference can be followed online via streaming, with links provided here:

-Thursday, September 30th
https://vimeo.com/616814551/6b4e36c6a5

-Friday, October 1st
https://vimeo.com/616816039/85cac6ce0b

PROGRAM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

9:00 Opening
Cathrine Kyo Hermansen, AEMI Chairperson
Marian Elorza, General Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Basque Government)

9:20 Kingsley Aikins, The Networking Institute, Ireland Connecting diasporas

10:00 Panel 1: Migration flows, connections of diaspora and home
Chaired by Dietmar Osses, AEMI Secretary

Dorota Praszalowicz,
Institute of American Studies, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
Pacific Northwest and the European immigration flows: Toward the comparative history of ethnic groups: Poles, Croatians and Jews

Magdalena Paluszkiewicz-Misiaczek,
Institute of American Studies, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
Polish veterans of WWII in Canada and their peculiar relations with communist Poland

Montserrat Golías, Laura Oso,
University of A Coruña, Spain
New and old chains. Analysis of migratory flows between Spain and Argentina

Marina Hansen,
University of the Basque Country
Italian immigration and state education in Argentina (1870-1930). A multilingual Buenos Aires

11:30 Coffee-break

12:00 Panel 2: Workshop
Chaired by Belén Fernández Suárez, Antía Pérez-Caramés,
University of A Coruña, Spain:
The Spanish diaspora in Europe: emigration and return of a disenchanted generation

Antía Pérez Caramés
University of A Coruña, Spain
Belén Fernández Suárez
University of A Coruña, Spain
Alberto Capote Lama
University of Granada, Spain
The new wave of Spanish emigration to France. A comparative analysis of the strategies and trajectories of intra-European migrants

Jordi Giner Monfort
University of Valencia, Spain
Belén Fernández Suárez
University of A Coruña, Spain
Sandra López Pereiro
University of A Coruña, Spain
Rubén Pérez Roel
University of A Coruña, Spain
The return of new Spanish emigration after the 2008 crisis: motivations for putting an end to the European dream

Antonio Alejo
University of A Coruña, Spain
Luca Chao Pérez
University of A Coruña, Spain
María José Fernández Vicente
Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France
Anna Giulia Ingellis
University of Valencia, Spain
Ana Irene Rovetta Cortés
CONICET-University of Jujuy, Argentina
Integration and return policies for the Spanish diaspora: An exploratory overview

13:30 Lunch

14:30 Panel 3: Return migration and identity
Chaired by Emma Barnhøj, The Danish Immigration Museum

Uxío-Breogán Diéguez, Montserrat Golías
University of A Coruña, Spain
The construction of Galicia through emigration: the configuration of a dual and transnational community

Heidi Rodrigues Martins
Centre de Documentation sur les Migrations Humaines, Luxembourg
The Quartier Italien, grounded through return and other mobilities

Dietmar Osses
Industriemuseum Zeche Hannover in Bochum, Germany
Polish, German, European? Experiences of second generation re-migrants in Germany

Anders Osvald Thorkilsen
The Danish Immigration Museum, Denmark
Dead and buried in the diaspora

16:00 Coffee-break

16:30 Panel 4: Home and Diaspora
Chaired by Bram Belaart, Red Star Line Museum, Antwerp

Iker Arranz
California State University, Bakersfield, USA
The vanishing of home. Reflections on the diaspora relations with borders and identity

Argitxu Camus
Iker Research Center, Bayonne
Letters sent by a Basque immigrant woman in the US to her hometown (1921-1967)

Susana Sabín-Fernández
United Kingdom
Volver

Joseba Etxarri
Euskalkultura

Tana Garrido
Basque Country
La tierra llama, a documentary about women in Cuba

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

09:00 Panel 5: Migration and Diaspora in the 21st Century: Pandemic as challenge
Chaired by Anders Osvald Thorkilsen, The Danish Immigration Museum

Gorka Alvarez Aramburu
Director for the Basque Community Abroad, Basque Government
Public administrations in the face of the new migration of the 21st century

Igor Calzada
University of Cardiff, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Hyperconnected Diasporas Amidst Pandemic Citizenship: The End of the Global Ciziten?

10:30 Coffe-break

11:00 Panel 6: Basque Diaspora: Communities and identities
Chaired by Emilia García, Consello da Cultura Galega, AEMI Board

Oscar Alvarez
University of the Basque Country
Diaspora and Basque national symbolism in the making

Maialen Goirizelaia
University of the Basque Country
One diaspora, different communities

Imanol Galdos
Donostia-Kultura, Basque Country
Why are they leaving and not returning? Disconnection with the homeland. Is there a risk of Argentineation of the Basque society?

Iván Jiménez
Bizkaia Talent, Basque Country
Professional emigrants: Be Basque as an Integrative Strategy to deal with the challenges of the internationalization and lack of talent

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Panel 7: Workshop
Chaired by Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik, Slovenian Migration Institute:
Statediaspora relations in the context of shifting borders and changing political regimes: identities and transfers of knowledge

Miha Zobec
Diasporas and their many “homelands”: the emigrants of Julian March and Prekmurje and the interwar Yugoslavia

Aleksej Kalc
Triestines in Australia: From identifying locally to welcoming the Italian “giuliani nel mondo”

Klara Kožar Rosulnik
Challenges and opportunities for knowledge transfer from Slovene diaspora

15:00 Coffee-break

15:30 Panel 8: Workshop
Chaired by Benan Oregi
Officer for the Basque Community Abroad, Basque Government

Peter Loge
George Washington University
Ander Caballero
International consultant, USA
The rhetorics of diaspora engagement

Ziortza Gandarias, John Bieter, Nere Lete, John M. Ysursa, Meggan Laxalt
Boise State University, USA Boise, Idaho
Connecting Academic Boise and other diaspora communities, and the Basque Country

Sunday, October 3rd is the deadline to vote for candidates for the 2021 Manuel Lekuona Award presented by Eusko Ikaskuntza, the Society of Basque Studies. In this edition, there are 9 candidates including two with direct ties to the Diaspora and this bulletin, Arantzazu Ametzaga is the pure history of our Diaspora, and a luxury collaborator with EuskalKultura.eus.  Elixabete Garmendia, is a journalist and fine interviewer, collaborator who has also collaborated in our newsletter.  Two very different profiles, but both of great value to the service of Basque culture.

Needless to say that they do not detract from the rest of the candidates (see below).

Eusko Ikaskuntza created the Manuel Lekuona Award in 1983, to reward “careers of creation, research, cultural promotion or social development.  Its concession has a weighted vote count, distributed as follows: Eusko Ikaskuntza members, 30%; Global Basque community, 10%; Institutional Court, 60% (made up of representatives of the Presidency and other Eusko Ikaskuntza reference entities).

You can vote here

CANDIDATES

-Sagrario Aleman, linguist, Resume
-Arantzazu Ametzaga, Historian, Resume
-Gurutzi Arregi, Ethnography / Anthropology, Resume
-Joxe Azurmendi, Philosophy, Resume
-Jon Bagües, Music / Archivist, Resume
-Xabier Egaña, Art / Painting, Resume
-Felix Fernandez de Romarategui, Art / Ecuador, Resume
-Elixabete Garmendia, Journalism, Resume
-Enrike Zelaia, Folklore, Resume

The Palacio Miramar in San Sebastian will be the site of the 2021 AEMI (Association of European Migration Institutions) meeting and conference this Thursday and Friday, September 30 and October 1st.  The Basque Government through its Directorate for the Basque Community Abroad organized the event as a member of the association since 2007 when it joined at the meeting that took place in Turku, Finland. It was also the conference organizer in 2010, when the annual event took place in Bilbao.

The theme for the 31st Conference and Assembly is “Relationships between Diasporas and their Homelands: New Migration, Movement and return and Historic Contexts (Roots).”  All sessions will be in English and the full program is as follows:

PROGRAM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

9:00 Opening
Cathrine Kyo Hermansen, AEMI Chairperson
Marian Elorza, General Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Basque Government)

9:20 Kingsley Aikins, The Networking Institute, Ireland Connecting diasporas

10:00 Panel 1: Migration flows, connections of diaspora and home
Chaired by Dietmar Osses, AEMI Secretary

Dorota Praszalowicz,
Institute of American Studies, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
Pacific Northwest and the European immigration flows: Toward the comparative history of ethnic groups: Poles, Croatians and Jews

Magdalena Paluszkiewicz-Misiaczek,
Institute of American Studies, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
Polish veterans of WWII in Canada and their peculiar relations with communist Poland

Montserrat Golías, Laura Oso,
University of A Coruña, Spain
New and old chains. Analysis of migratory flows between Spain and Argentina

Marina Hansen,
University of the Basque Country
Italian immigration and state education in Argentina (1870-1930). A multilingual Buenos Aires

11:30 Coffee-break

12:00 Panel 2: Workshop
Chaired by Belén Fernández Suárez, Antía Pérez-Caramés,
University of A Coruña, Spain:
The Spanish diaspora in Europe: emigration and return of a disenchanted generation

Antía Pérez Caramés
University of A Coruña, Spain
Belén Fernández Suárez
University of A Coruña, Spain
Alberto Capote Lama
University of Granada, Spain
The new wave of Spanish emigration to France. A comparative analysis of the strategies and trajectories of intra-European migrants

Jordi Giner Monfort
University of Valencia, Spain
Belén Fernández Suárez
University of A Coruña, Spain
Sandra López Pereiro
University of A Coruña, Spain
Rubén Pérez Roel
University of A Coruña, Spain
The return of new Spanish emigration after the 2008 crisis: motivations for putting an end to the European dream

Antonio Alejo
University of A Coruña, Spain
Luca Chao Pérez
University of A Coruña, Spain
María José Fernández Vicente
Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France
Anna Giulia Ingellis
University of Valencia, Spain
Ana Irene Rovetta Cortés
CONICET-University of Jujuy, Argentina
Integration and return policies for the Spanish diaspora: An exploratory overview

13:30 Lunch

14:30 Panel 3: Return migration and identity
Chaired by Emma Barnhøj, The Danish Immigration Museum

Uxío-Breogán Diéguez, Montserrat Golías
University of A Coruña, Spain
The construction of Galicia through emigration: the configuration of a dual and transnational community

Heidi Rodrigues Martins
Centre de Documentation sur les Migrations Humaines, Luxembourg
The Quartier Italien, grounded through return and other mobilities

Dietmar Osses
Industriemuseum Zeche Hannover in Bochum, Germany
Polish, German, European? Experiences of second generation re-migrants in Germany

Anders Osvald Thorkilsen
The Danish Immigration Museum, Denmark
Dead and buried in the diaspora

16:00 Coffee-break

16:30 Panel 4: Home and Diaspora
Chaired by Bram Belaart, Red Star Line Museum, Antwerp

Iker Arranz
California State University, Bakersfield, USA
The Vanishing ofHhome. Reflections on the Diaspora Relations with Borders and Identity

Argitxu Camus
Iker Research Center, Bayonne
Letters sent by a Basque immigrant woman in the US to her hometown (1921-1967)

Susana Sabín-Fernández
United Kingdom
Volver

Joseba Etxarri
Euskalkultura

Tana Garrido
Basque Country
La tierra llama, a documentary about women in Cuba

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

09:00 Panel 5: Migration and Diaspora in the 21st Century: Pandemic as challenge
Chaired by Anders Osvald Thorkilsen, The Danish Immigration Museum

Gorka Alvarez Aramburu
Director for the Basque Community Abroad, Basque Government
Public administrations in the face of the new migration of the 21st century

Igor Calzada
University of Cardiff, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Hyper-Connected Diasporas amidst Pandemic Citizenship: The End of the Global Citizen?

10:30 Coffee-break

11:00 Panel 6: Basque Diaspora: Communities and identities
Chaired by Emilia García, Consello da Cultura Galega, AEMI Board

Oscar Alvarez
University of the Basque Country
Diaspora and Basque national symbolism in the making

Maialen Goirizelaia
University of the Basque Country
One diaspora, different communities

Imanol Galdos
Donostia-Kultura, Basque Country
Why are they leaving and not returning? Disconnection with the homeland. Is there a risk of Argentineation of the Basque society?

Iván Jiménez
Bizkaia Talent, Basque Country
Professional emigrants: Be Basque as an Integrative Strategy to deal with the challenges of the internationalization and lack of talent

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Panel 7: Workshop
Chaired by Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik, Slovenian Migration Institute:
Statediaspora relations in the context of shifting borders and changing political regimes: identities and transfers of knowledge

Miha Zobec
Diasporas and their many “homelands”: the emigrants of Julian March and Prekmurje and the interwar Yugoslavia

Aleksej Kalc
Triestines in Australia: From identifying locally to welcoming the Italian “giuliani nel mondo”

Klara Kožar Rosulnik
Challenges and opportunities for knowledge transfer from Slovene diaspora

15:00 Coffee-break

15:30 Panel 8: Workshop
Chaired by Benan Oregi
Officer for the Basque Community Abroad, Basque Government

Peter Loge
George Washington University
Ander Caballero
International consultant, USA
The rhetoric of diaspora engagement

Ziortza Gandarias, John Bieter, Nere Lete, John M. Ysursa, Meggan Laxalt
Boise State University, USA Boise, Idaho
Connecting Academic Boise and other diaspora communities, and the Basque Country

After 18 months of no activities due to the pandemic, the Basque club in the Colombian capital once again gathered members and friends, in this case for an informal lunch. The event took place on Saturday, September 25^th and the menu prepared especially for the occasion by the local El Vasco included pintxos and paella.  After lunch, there were toasts and speeches, those present then took their places around the tables to enjoy some good Mus games.

Despite the success of the event Beñat Matesanz, told EuskalKultura.eus that they are not anticipating more in person events until the end of the year.  They are planning to celebrate Tamborrada at the beginning of 2022, celebrated annually on January 19^th, in conjunction with the festivities in Donostia.

The Euskal Etxea in Bogota is located in the Palermo neighborhood in front of the Gernika Plaza.  Matesanz stressed that club activities, that they hope to recover once the health situation stabilizes, mainly consist of celebrating typical festivals in the Basque Country, along with Euskalduns who live in the capital city.

Bogota Basque Club on Instagram casavascabogota.

Beginning this academic year, the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) in Georgia will provide classes on both Basque language and culture thanks to an agreement signed with the Etxepare Basque Institute.  It is common knowledge that a fraternal historic relationship exists between Georgia and the Basque Country, and there are academics who defend theories that relate the origin of both peoples and cultures.

Thanks to the aforementioned agreement the President of TSU, George Sharvashidze, and its Director of International Relations, Tea Gergedava, visited the Etxepare Basque Institute’s headquarters in San Sebastian accompanied by Georgian Ambassador, Ilia Giorgadze. There they met with Irene Larraza, the Institute’s Director, and Garbiñe Iztueta, the Director of the Promotion and Diffusion of Euskera, where they shared the news of the start of the first lecturer program in Euskera and Basque Culture at TSU.

The agreement signed in 2020, aims to begin classes this academic year.  Martin Artola will be the first lecturer from Euskal Herria to begin teaching under its umbrella in Tbilisi.

With this, there are now 35 universities worldwide that provide classes on Basque language and Basque culture as part of the Etxepare Basque Institute’s network.

-ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University)

This Basque club in the province of Cordoba will begin its 75th anniversary program this week.  On Wednesday, September 29th at 7pm mass will be celebrated at the Father of the Trinity Church and at 8pm a commemorative plaque will be unveiled, followed by a toast at the clubhouse. The festivities will continue on Saturday, October 2nd, at the Sociedad Rural in Villa Maria.

On Saturday the celebration will begin at 7pm with a formal ceremony that will include standard-bearers, hymns, Aurresku, renewal of the Basque Club Mayor and recognition of founding families, collaborators, the “emakumeak,” former presidents and directors of cultural activities.  Dinner will begin at 9pm following protocols and with limited capacity.

Due to health restrictions, dinner tickets must be reserved ahead of time by calling 0353 156 579 803, between 4pm and 8pm, or by leaving a message via WhatsApp outside of these hours on the same number.

Anniversary Logo

The logo seen on the club’s 75th anniversary posters was chosen as part of a contest that club members organized.  The winner and creator of the logo was Karen Estrada, member and dantzari, who is studying architecture and graphic design at UNC, National University of Cordoba.

The typical Basque typography and the image of the facade of a baserri with the Argentine flag and Ikurriña are seen, “express the values of preservation of Basque identity and culture,” the club explains.

More information on the events program, here.

The re-entry of September, the beginning of a new academic year, and the celebration of the Day of the Basque Diaspora have been propitious occasions at many Basque clubs around the world.  For many, at the dawn of some improvement in data regarding the pandemic in different countries, where important steps have been taken to meet in person again, that strive to return to “normality.” That is what the Gure Txoko Basque Club in Valladolid did, organizing a Herri Kirolak (traditional Basque sports) demonstration which was favorably received by local people attending.

Gure Txoko shares its joy of being able to hold this first in person event on September 18th with EuskalKultura.eus, to begin the new school year with a heartfelt celebration “in style,” for the Day of the Basque Diaspora.  “We had a great time, we really wanted to get together and celebrate at the txoko.  It has been a luxury to be able to count on the excellent athletes who traveled from Euskal Herria to participate in our event.”

“We would like to thank harrijasotzailes Inaxio Perurena and Aroa Sánchez who accepted our invitation. As well as aizkolaris Uxue Ansorregi and Mikel Agirre, although Mikel got hurt and in the end David España came in his place.” The locals applauded the exhibitions with stones, axes and the trontza (saw) with much pleasure. “And look from where, we found out that in Castilla, in a town in Segovia, there is a group that began a few years ago to practice as aizkolaris and harrijasotzailes".

Zorionak, Valladolideko Gure Txoko, and hopefully this great start will mark an even better year!

Emerging from her academic training, the documentary “Bakaiku, unica casa,” by Argentine Maru Roson, is an intimate story of family history, in which the young director tells about the arrival of her great-grandfather, Luciano Urrestarazu, a native of Bakaiku, in the south American country, and her return to his hometown, to get to know the Basque legacy in person, that came to her from her father.

The documentary is a trip that begins in Buenos Aires and jumps the Atlantic to dive deep into Navarre, where Roson, the director and protagonist of “Bakaiku, unica casa,’ was able to delve not only into the family bond, but also into the traditions and customs of the people and how they have been maintained even from a great distance.

Maru Roson presented the documentary in July as the final project in her Audiovisual Technique degree at the National University of Quilmes.  Shortly after presenting it, and after finishing her degree, it was screened in the Navarrese town, at a function organized by Bakaiku.info in the local Eskolen Parkea.

The young woman from Quilmes confesses that "I have heard about the history of the Basques in Argentina since I was born.  The stories of my father and my grandmother, the trips between Navarre and Buenos Aires have marked where I am.”  That is why this research into the relationship between the Basque Country and the Diaspora through family history surely does not end here.  In fact, as part of the same project, “Bakaiku, unica casa,” will also be a book that the author will start working on shortly.

This is the documentary

Script and direction of “‘Bakaiku, única casa” by María Eugenia Roson. The project also enjoyed the collaboration of Carlos Castro as Director of the TIF, and of Pablo Landaburu, as Co-director of the TIF.

-'Bakaiku, única casa' on Instagram: Bakaiku Casa
-Interview in Diario Noticias de Navarre with Maru Roson here.

During this september days when Donostia is intensely experiencing the 69^th edition of its Zinemaldia (SSIFF, San Sebastian International Film Festival,) on Wednesday “Once upon a Time in Euskadi” debuted by Basque director, Manu Gomez (Arrasate, 1973). The film tells the story of the 80s in the Basque Country from the gaze of the four children who star in it.  What perhaps few know, is that students and the Basque teacher from the Euskal Etxea in Madrid participated in the film.

Producers of the film were looking for Basque speakers in Madrid who could provide voices and so they were put in touch with Ane Bastida, Basque teacher at the Euskal Etxea and actress.  The film is primarily filmed in Spanish, but they wanted to include Euskera in secondary scenes and shots.  That is where students made their contribution, who met in a recording studio to give voice to the script by Manu Gomez.

Official film trailer

“It was a very enriching experience for us,” Ane Bastida told EuskalKultura.eus.  “Not only the advanced level students, but the beginning level students also joined in enthusiastically.  There were longer texts and other shorter ones, so everyone was able to participate in this activity that gave them a different possibility to speak Basque outside of class. There was a written script to follow, but they were also able to improvise and the director was very satisfied with the result.”

“Once upon a Time in Euskadi,” will debut in theaters at the end of October and then will be able to be screened at the Euskal Etxea where the director will be invited to attend to share the experience with the entire community.

Zorionak to the Euskal Etxea’s Basque teacher and students alike!

“Txalaparta,” began in 2017 in the heart of the Baskos de la Confluencia Basque Club with the aim of “reporting on institutional activities and announcing various cultural events in Euskal Herria including music, sports, history and language among others.”  The program could be heard all year long until February of 2018 on FM Confluencia, as well as on the club’s social media.

After being interrupted for over two years, the program returns to the air with similar goals, but with a new format.  Pedro Mario Arana Urionabarrenechea, club reference, will now be in charge of the management and production on the microphone, along with his daughter, Maite Arana.  Eduardo Lopez de Arcaute completes the technical team as in charge of the music.

In regards to contents, shows are presented by father and daighter.  Chosen themes for this new season are the capitals of Euskadi and Navarre, in a series called “A Bird’s Eye View,” the most representative Basque signs under the title ‘Signs of Identity,” and there will also be space to talk about “Los Agotes,” “Traineras,” and “La Grua Karola,” among others, as reported by Arana Urionabarrenechea.

“Txalaparta,” runs about 15 minutes, and is recorded weekly broadcast every day on FM Confluencia 92.7 at different times.  You can also listen to it on the Baskos de la Confluencia Basque Club’s social media including on its YouTube channel where you can also enjoy images along with the audio.

Baskos de la Confluencia on Facebook: Baskos de la Confluencia
Baskos de la Confluencia on Instagram: baskosdelaconfluencia
Baskos de la Confluencia on Youtube: BASKOS de la CONFLUENCIA

Reference at the Basque Club in Cañuelas, Margarita Mathieu was awarded the “Jose Maria Iparragirre,” award presented annually beginning this year by the NGO in Gasteiz, Musicians without Borders. The award was presented virtually as part of the Day of the Basque Diaspora festivities by Professor Cesar Arrondo, one of the main promoters of the distinction, at the end of his talk about Andrés María de Irujo y Ollo

“Margarita was chosen,” the NGO explains, “because of her dedication to the Basque culture and to her Basque club, for her tireless and quiet work.”  “Within the Denak Bat she served as the club’s secretary when they began to resume activity in 1992; later she served as vice-president, and later president for three years; she is currently the club’s treasurer.  She is one of the most veteran members and has participated in everything that has been organized since 1992,” current club president Veronica Zulaica said.

“Jose Maria Iparragirre” Prize

The “Jose Maria Iparragirre” prize is an initiative presented to the NGO Musicians without Borders by Cesar Arrondo.  As Arrondo told EuskalKultura.eus, “Musicians without Borders is an NGO from Vitoria-Gasteiz that has helped underprivileged children around the world through music for 25 years.  Due to my friendship with Jesus Maria Alegria Urtiaga “Pinttu,” founder and president of the NGO, I proposed to establish this award, in the year of the bicentennial of Iparragirre’s birth.”

The award named after the bard from Urretxu will be awarded annually, coordinated by Cesar Arrondo, and Luis Aramburu, with the endorsement of the NGO.  The awards will take place in the spring (southern hemisphere) and are aimed at “individuals who have dedicated their lives to Basque activity, sometimes without the deserved recognition,” Arrondo says.  “It will be presented in Argentina and Uruguay, two of the countries where the author of ‘Gernikako Arbola,’ lived.”

Zorionak, Margarita!

The Basque Government is providing four Scholarships for training for youth, two for opportunities in Vitoria-Gasteiz, at the Secretary General of Foreign Action, and two more in Brussels at the Delegation of Euskadi at the European Union. Each includes a twelve-month stay, and in the case of Vitoria-Gasteiz the award is 16,000 Euros while that of Brussels is 24,000 Euros.  Requirements include a university degree and be 28 years old or younger.  Applicants should be residents of the Basque Autonomous Community or members of an officially recognized Basque club.  Deadline to apply is October 1^st.

Complete details are available here.

For more information, please call Benan Oregi (+34 945 018 121), about the internship in Gasteiz and the Basque Community Abroad, or Elena Iturrate (+34 945 017 843), about Brussels and training in European Affairs.

Zorte on!

The Aberri Etxea Basque Club did not want the pandemic to cloud the celebration of its 25th anniversary, which has been carrying out a complete program of activities virtually.  Starting this week, however, health measures now allow some in person activities following protocols, and the club invites everyone to an Exhibition on Basque Mythology, which it will offer this Saturday on the city’s waterfront.

Ruben Suarez, doctor of History and member of the Board of Directors and culture chairperson of the club, told EuskalKultura.eus that the project arose from an idea that club president Rocio Basterra had that immediately sparked enthusiasm on the board, and among club members who were anxious to participate, preparing characters costumes and stories. And so, this Saturday the Basque Mythology Exhibition will take place from 4:30-6:30pm.

The goddess Mari, Basajaun, Akerbeltz, the Sorginak and Lamiak will come back to life thanks to various members.  Ruben Suarez will be Tartalo, and anthropologist, Joxemiel Barandiaran, will have his place in the show, whose aim is to acquaint everyone with Basque legends and myths with the motto, “Izena duena, bada” (if it has a name, it exists).

Main Festivities in November

The club also confirmed that the main festivities for its 25th anniversary will take place in November, and it is possible that these mythological characters return for the occasion.  But, just in case, don’t miss this Saturday’s debut!

As part of its Day of the Basque Diaspora activities, the local Basque club planted a sapling from the Tree of Gernika in front of its facilities located on Calle 58 and 14. Attending the ceremony was club’s mayor, Elena Bilbao, club president, Javier Clua, both of whom addressed those in attendance as well as unveiled a plaque attesting to the authenticity of the sapling as “Son of the Tree of Gernika,” confirmed by the “Bizkaiko Batzar Nagusiak,” or Parliament of Bizkaia.

Those present sang “Gernikako Arbola,” and club dancers performed an Aurresku. The Day of the Basque Diaspora at the Euzko Etxea also included a lunch and a film event with the participation of Carlos Gabilondo as part of the Traveling Film Series.

The Tree of Gernika in the Capital City

Anyone wishing to verify the close relationship and the link that exists between the so-called city of diagonals, and the Basque community, can do so not only by approaching the headquarters of the Euzko Etxea in La Plata, one of the largest in the country in size and activity, but also by taking a tour of the Basque oaks that grow in its various squares and parks.

According to an article by Jose Joaquin Saldias entitled “The Memory of the Tree of Gernika in la Plata,” in issue #10 of the Eguzkia magazine, the city currently has five oaks donated by the community in public spaces.  One of the oldest is in the Pereyra Iraola Park, and was brought at the beginning of the 20^th century by the Iraola Family, originally from Tolosa.

In 1956, the oak that is now in the Moreno Plaza was planted, in front of the Cathedral, and in 1968, they planted others on the corner for 58 and 14 streets, that is to say, in front of the clubhouse.

In 1982, the Euzko Etxea planted another in Euzkadi Plaza on 13 and 55; and in 2007, coinciding with the 70^th anniversary of the Bombing of Gernika, they planted another one, this time in the Peace Garden.  This was donated by Salvador Oria who grew the sapling from an acorn from the oak at the Juan de Garay in Buenos Aires.

Unlike the previous oaks, the oak planted this year includes a certificate of authenticity, which proves its connection with the one that currently grows at the Batzar-Etxea in Bizkaia.

Complete article by Saldias in issue #10 of the Eguzkia magazine, here.

Leaving the summer behind, with the new school year in person events are coming back and the Basques in Montpellier, who cancelled their 2020 “Euskal Besta” due to the pandemic, are getting ready to celebrate it this year with renewed enthusiasm this Sunday, September 26^th. Guests from the Basque Country invited by the “Eskualdunak” Basque Club in Montpellier include the “Kantu,” male choir from Hendaia, and musicians Jean-Louis Bergara y Beñat Chaubadindeguy.

As a prelude to the festivities on Sunday, ten members of the Kantu Choir will perform a concert of popular Basque songs at the Jean Penso Clapiers Cultural Space, admission is free.

On Sunday, the doors of the same cultural space will open at 10:45am for those who would like to attend mass celebrated as in prior years by Aita Mounho.  At 11:45am there will be an aperitif with the display of typical voices of the country, with improvised singing and typical traditional dances.  At 1pm, people will begin to sit down to share a meal.  Songs will not be absent from that moment either, and the afternoon will conclude with dancing and more popular musical expressions.

It is imperative that you RSVP.  Price of the tickets is 30 Euros; Children under 12 and students are free.

- Euskal Etxea Email, 34eskualdunak@gmail.com
- Website http://www.eskualdunak34.com

September 30th is the deadline to submit your work to the 2021 Basque Writing Contest at the University Of Nevada, Reno. Works in English that have not been published, or that are not in the process of being so, are eligible.  The theme is all things related to Basque culture, the Basques in the world, or any other related topic having to do with Basque.  Contest results will be published in November.

The William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies (CBS) at the University Of Nevada, Reno, and the Basque Studies Program at Boise State University (BSU) co-organize the contest.  The deadline for submissions is September 30^th at 6pm (PST).

Prizes

- First Prize: $500 worth of titles by the CBS press and publication consideration of the work
- Second Prize: $125 in titles from the CBS Press and publication consideration
- Third Prize: Complete set of Basque Classics as well as publication consideration

General rules

- Submissions must be original and unpublished manuscripts
- Submissions must be in Microsoft Word or printed on hard copy and more than 10,000 words and less than 100,000 words
- Submissions should be clearly identified and accompanied by a cover letter (or email) that includes the entrant’s name and contact information. No contact information should be included on the actual submission.
- Entries will not be returned. Please only submit copies.
- Submissions can be in any genre, including but not limited to: literary fiction, short story collections, creative nonfiction, memoir and children’s literature.

Submissions can be made by emailing basquestudies@gmail.com or by mail to:

Center for Basque Studies
University of Nevada, Reno / MS 2322
1664 N. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89557-2322

-More information here

Basque professor at the Official School of Languages in Alicante Izaskun Kortazar Errekatxo, will give two talks this week in Alacant about the future of Euskera and the challenges that it is facing.  The first, in Spanish, will take place today, and the second will be next Thursday, in Valencian.  Admission is open although seating is limited.  RSVP are requested for Thursday’s talk by emailing alacant@acpv.cat or by calling 690 617 547.

Tuesday, September 21

Title: Does Euskera have a future?  The Remains of a Minority Language
Place: Fahrenheit 451, Café y libros (C/Elda 18), at 7pm
Thursday, Septebmer 23rd

Talk/Debate: The Recuperation of Euskera: Challenges for the Futre/ la recuperació de l 'èuscar: reptes de futur
Place: Sala Miguel Hernández de la Seu Universitària d 'Alicante (Av. Ramón y Cajal 4, Alicante)
Time: 7pm

Izaskun Kortazar Errekatxo, originally from Bilbao, is a teacher with extensive experience in teaching languages.  She has a degree in Basque Philology, in Spanish Literature and in Teaching English, she is fluent in Basque, Spanish, English, and Portuguese and has a high level of Valencian/Catalan.  She has been a Basque teacher in the Basque Country and has taught Basque and Spanish in the United States.  She has lived in the US, Brazil, and South America and knows well the world of Basque teaching in the Basque Diaspora where she also served as NABO’s Basque Coordinator.  She currently resides in Alicante where she teaches Basque at the local Official School of Languages.

- Izaskun Kortazar en Linkedin
-Facebook
-https://izaskunkortazar.wordpress.com

The Centro Navarro in Bolivar held its General Assembly on Saturday, August 7^th, where elections were held for its board of directors.  Mariana Sardon, of Baztan descent, daughter of former active member of the Marta Ladux, takes over as president from Miguel Angel Lasa, who was elected as club’s treasurer.  The new board of directors if now comprised of the following:

-President: Mariana Sardón.
-Vice-president: Gabriela Unzué.
-Secretary: Mirta Moriones.
-Pro secretary: Andrea Rodrigo.
-Treasurer: Miguel A. Lasa.
-Pro treasurer: Analía Bruno.

Directors
1° Omar Lapenta
2° Mauricio Ruiz
3° Héctor Pérez
4° Rubén Tamborenea

Alternates
1° Juan Carlos Moriones
2° Federico Estelrich
3° Stella Apesteguía
4° María E. Iroz

Auditors
1° Raúl Mosca
2° Raúl Sáez
3° Danisa Miglierina

Alternates
1° Pedro Navarro
2° Marcelo Nestares

Zorionak and mila esker to everyone coming on board, and those who are leaving their respective posts!

-Facebook Centro Navarro in Bolivar