The Influence of Emigration and Return on Aezkoa Valley and Its Surrounding Rural Communities in Northern Navarre at the Turn of the 19Th Century
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University of Nevada, Reno Homeward Bound: The Influence of Emigration and Return on Aezkoa Valley and its Surrounding Rural Communities in Northern Navarre at the turn of the 19th Century A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Basque Studies by Amaia Iraizoz Cia Dr. Xabier Irujo/Dissertation Co-Advisor Dr. Óscar Álvarez Gila/Dissertation Co-Advisor December, 2017 (c)2018 AMAIA IRAIZOZ CIA © Copyright by Amaia Iraizoz Cia All Rights Reserved December 2017 i Abstract The aim of this dissertation is to provide a study on Basque transnational migration from the perspective of the homeland. The goal is to see to what extent this transnational migration influenced and impacted local communities in the rural Basque area, concretely in Aezkoa Valley and other villages that surround it at the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth. The traditional focus of Basque migration studies has long been on male migrants and unidirectional migratory experiences. This study will address migration phenomena from the other side, attempting to deconstruct migration as a predominantly male and unilateral sphere by analyzing migration effects from the perspective of the homeland, women, children, and family. By addressing the changes that both emigrants and returnees prompted in their hometowns in Aezkoa Valley, the flow of ideas and people in-between two worlds will be analyzed from the point of view of cultural encounters that led to hybrid practices. These encounters and interactions created new realities in the homeland, many times transforming the everyday life of the peasant as well as the society as a whole. These influences will be tracked through the study of different cases or vital experiences of those who decided to emigrate and to return to their homeland, some of whom went back and forth. The impact of these migrants and returnees on society affected areas such as landholding, family interactions and dynamics, and the opening of the rigid neighborhood system that existed in these societies. ii Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my family household, Ramorena, in Aritzu, as well as to my mother’s family household, Bortanea, in Urritzola, and the people who inhabited and belonged to these two households in the past and in the present, who inspired me throughout this entire process. iii Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have been possible without the assistance of many people and institutions. First of all, I want to give special thanks to the William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies for giving me the opportunity to come here and carry out my doctoral studies. I also have to say that none of this could have been possible without the assistance of the Campos Family and the generous grant they provided to the Center for Basque Studies for my own research. I want to give special thanks to my advisor, Xabier Irujo, for always being a voice of encouragement for me during this longstanding process, as well as to Joseba Zulaika, who has always supported me for the last four and a half years. I also want to thank all of the CBS faculty and staff, who have been an integral part of my experience at UNR, and especially to Kate Camino and the CBS families that made me feel at home in so many ways. My gratitude to all the members of my committee: Óscar Álvarez Gila, my co- advisor, for promptly addressing my concerns and always providing constructive feedback. To Meredith Oda for the knowledge that she provided me during her classes, and to Debora Boehm for her good advice. My journey to Reno was in part thanks to Maria del Mar Larraza Micheltorena, who provided me a letter of recommendation to apply here, as well as taking part in my advisory committee. My experience at the Center for Basque Studies is also thanks to Asier Barandiaran: had he not told me about the Center, I would have never thought to apply. iv I want to give special thanks to Iñaki Arrieta-Baro, the Jon Bilbao Basque librarian, for his support and predisposition to answer my many questions and aid me throughout this process. To the archivist Miriam Echeverria, from the General Archive of Navarre and to the people in charge of the municipal archives in Aezkoa Valley: Luis de Potestad, José Sagaseta de Ilurdoz, and José Antonio Tellechea. I cannot forget all the people that I met during these four and a half years at the CBS, Iker Saitua and all the peers who have come and gone from the center. I want to give special thanks to my “compañera de fechorias”, Edurne Arostegui, for her friendship, continuous support, and wonderful time together. The people who I lived with: Sheila Morales and Silvia Biehl, with a warm thanks to Tina Nappe. This experience would not have been the same without them. I am very grateful to the support of my husband, Patxi Obregozo, for always being there. To my whole family, my mother, Maria Jesus Cia, my father, Juan Jose Iraizoz, my uncle, Fermin Iraizoz, and siblings: Josune Iraizoz and Roberto Reta, and Eneko Iraizoz and Maitena Etcheverry, without forgetting my nieces and nephew: Uxue, Haizea, Ander, and Ixone. To my cousin Javier Iraizoz, to my godparents, Lorenzo Iraizoz-Isabel Ibarrola, and Agueda Cia. My family-in-law, and my loyal friends: Maitane Zubillaga, Rubén Ozcariz, Maitane Ezker, Iñaki Iraizoz, Euri, and José Ángel Villanueva. Eskermile aunitz guztioi! v Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... i Dedication ..................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments........................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... v List of Tables ............................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................. vii Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Part I: Contextualizing the Homeland........................................................................... 9 Chapter One: Theoretical Approach and Literature Review ........................... 10 Chapter Two: Contextualizing the history of Navarre and the society of Aezkoa Valley ............................................................................................ 35 Part II: Leaving Home ................................................................................................ 66 Chapter Three: Emigration from the Pyrenees to the Americas ..................... 67 Chapter Four: Beyond Emigration Lists ......................................................... 97 Part III: Returning Home .......................................................................................... 156 Chapter Five: The Influence of overseas money in the society of Aezkoa: Marriage strategies, dowries, and moneylenders ...................................... 157 Chapter Six: Bringing modernity to the homeland: ...................................... 204 Chapter Seven: Hybrid practices in the Irati forest exploitation................... 234 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 268 Epilogue .................................................................................................................... 276 Primary sources:........................................................................................................ 278 Bibliography ............................................................................................................. 281 vi List of Tables Table 1 Quantities that distributed Domingo Elizondo to the households of Garralda from 1898 to 1904. AMGD. Box 37. Incendio ..................................... 226 Table 2 Last costs of the Church made on October 27, 1917 ................................... 227 vii List of Figures Figure 1: Map of Aezkoa Valley and Navarre ................................................................. viii Figure 2: Emigrants on Garaioa's Census ......................................................................... 77 Figure 3: Marital status of emigrants of Garaioa in 1861. Based on archival records. .... 79 Figure 4: Garaioa emigrants 1861-1897. Based on the archival records. ......................... 80 Figure 5: Total emigrants from Garaioa. Made with archival records. ............................ 82 Figure 6: Garralda’s emigrants 1890-1909. Based on archival records. ........................... 83 Figure 7: Garralda’s emigrants 1890-1899. Based on archival records. ........................... 84 Figure 8: Garralda’s emigrants, 1890-1899. ..................................................................... 84 Figure 9: Garralda’s emigrants 1900-1909. ...................................................................... 86 Figure 10: Garralda’s emigrants year by year, 1900-1909. .............................................. 88 Figure 11: Garralda’s emigrants 1910-1920. .................................................................... 89 Figure 12: Garrlada’s Emigrants year by year, 1910-1920. .............................................