JAIALDI 2000 BOISE

Official representation of Euskal Herria in the Boise Jaialdi 2000 The Eusko Jaurlaritza complexity of politics in their representation was chaired by the native land and they do not take Culture Consultant, M.» Karmen part in the elections of Euskadi, Mari Carmen Garmendia with the Secretary of the Garmendia in the company of J.L. Nafarroa or Iparralde. The Basque State of , the American-Basque Pete Cenarrusa. Zubizarreta and Edurne Basoa. J.L. Government Delegation was The warm official reception was Motiloa represented the Industry welcomed by the President of only the reflection of the even warmer Department, Josu Legarreta, the Euzkaldunak, Bryan Day, the Director and more palpable welcome which Director of Relations with Basque of Jaialdi, David Eiguren, the took place in the streets of Boise. Lots Communities and Benan Oregi, the Governor of Idaho State, Dirk of people approached the Basque advisor, were also in the Basque Kempthorne, the Secretary of the Delegation to welcome them Delegation. State, Pete Cenarrusa and the Mayor of personally to the and to The United States felt Boise, Brent Coles. They all Boise. honored by their presence, and they underlined the importance of Basque were particularly proud of their good immigration in Idaho and the good relations with the Basque Government. reputation of the Basques, Çhonest, As Boise’s sister city is The Basque organisations in Boise hardworking, polite and loyalÈ, which Gernika-Luno, a and the Jaialdi Festival prove that the makes them be proud of their representation of the foral Basques of the United States Diaspora ÇBasquesÈ who have brought riches to city, lead by Miguel Angel Aranaz, its Deputy Mayor, keep their ethnic identity, they promote the State with their Çlanguage, attended the Jaialdi. the ÇBasque way of beingÈ and the gastronomy, sports, music, dances and The relation with Gernika ethnic identity through the culture. unique cultural eventsÈ. Governor can be easily perceived in There are very few of them who are Kempthorne declared in his speech Boise, for there are many politically oriented. Most of the that the Basques have earned the people from Gernika living there, just as there are many attendants to the festival ignore the respect and admiration of their Idaho people living now in Gernika, neighbors because they are exceptional who worked and lived in citizens and they have been Boise in the past. able to preserve the best of their Basque heritage. He encouraged the population of Idaho to Çshow their acknowledgement of Basque culture and heritage, which play such an important role in our State, and to join them during this week of international prestige, in the celebration of the Jaialdi 2000 Ð the Festival of Basque Mari Carmen Garmendia with Pete Cenarrusa. CultureÈ

The Basque Centers of the United States look to the future with optimism

Gloria Pilar Totoricagüena centers are experiencing an increase in the number of members. However, ÇsuccessÈ is relative and can defined in The Boise Jaialdi Festival is a unique example of the many ways. conservation of Basque ethnic identity and of the cultural pride The root of the problem is to define who and what is shown by the Basques of the Diaspora, whose ancestors came ÇBasqueÈ. Thirty years ago, most of the Basques living in the from the seven herrialdes. It may be a celebration with a strong United States knew practically nothing of one another. They American flavor, with T-shirts, stickers on cars, souvenirs of did not communicate and they did not consider themselves pop culture, but the future of Basque cultural festival shows Çequally BasquesÈ. Being from Iparralde or from Hegoalde increasing promise in this area. Over 40 Basque associations of was different, and speaking euskera or not was also something the United States are financially independent and many of the that brought a difference. Now a days the North American

22 NABO – NORTH AMERICAN BASQUE ORGANIZATIONS «Mundua ez da bakarrik zuk ezagutzen duzuna» «The World is not only that which you know» In march 1973 a group of Basques of Basques from Nafarroa. So, during met in Reno, Nevada, in order to study the meeting in Reno, the idea of forming a proposal for the unification of efforts a federation of Spanish and French among the American Basques. Euskal Basques in order to work together, came Herria has always been conscious of under discussion. Could they collaborate being a well-defined community in order to preserve ÇZazpiak BatÈ but, as there is not a and promote their unique political own and the community, the common Basque Basques of the The ordinary NABO reunion culture? Their NABO reunion. south, from Bizkaia, took place last July 28, at the answer enabled for instance, had little same time as the Jaialdi. them to keep Wyoming. Each Basque Center sends contact with the During the reunion, the leaving working delegates to the three annual president, Bob Echeverria, northern Basques. This from Nevada, welcomed the together after assemblies, with the same decision was reflected in the new president, Pierro thirty years: power for each of them. The distribution of Basques Etcharren, a native of YES. The convention of year 2000 has been in North America, where Benafarroa who lives in result was the birth celebrated in Boise, Idaho, on the last California. the Bizkaians chose in 1974 of the North American week end of July. Idaho and Nevada, having Basque Organization. NABO does not Some of the activities of NABO: little contact with the Californian interfere in the autonomy of each ✓ elaborate the activities calendar and Basques, who were mainly descendants associated club and its purpose is to: the information brought by each ✓ preserve and promote Basque Center in the United States and in culture and any activities organized the Basque Country. by Basque people; ✓ Publish news bulletins on the ✓ encourage mutual assistance; activities of NABO itself, on ✓ educate and promote Basque euskera, Basque history... customs among the population; ✓ Actively participate in the ✓ promote communication and organization of Basque festivals exchanges among Basques, both and especially of the Jaialdi or from the United States and from Basque Culture International Euskal Herria. Festivals. NABO keeps cultural relations ✓ Summer Basque Music Camp. with the Basque Government, the ÇUdalekuÈ or summer camp, where Government of Navarre, the French the youngest learn euskera, Pierro Institute of Basque Culture and other traditional music, dances and Etcharren, Basque Centers in the whole world. playing Basque instruments. They new president NABO has 31 associated centers in rotate through all the centers. of NABO California, Idaho, Nevada, New York, ✓ Mus inter-center tournament Oregon, Utah, Washington and ✓ Handball tournament.

Basque Organisations meet three times a year and they develop Diaspora makes them consider Çbeing BasqueÈ in an activities with other centers and with members of all Basque exclusive, conservative and static way, and that is what they associations. This is bringing about a new Basque unified transmit to their children. During the Jaialdi 1990 Festival, identity. some could hardly appreciate Imanol’s music, full of blues and The old categories ÇSpanish BasqueÈ or ÇFrench BasqueÈ jazz. ÇThat is not BasqueÈ, some of the attendants, who wanted are not frequent among the young generations, although txistus and accordions playing jotas, protested. Jaialdi Festival obviously some of them speak French and some others speak and all the activities of the Basque Centers in the United States Spanish and, moreover, they speak euskera differently. could inform, teach and update the idea the Basque population However, none of these members of the young generations has about their motherland. They are a model which shows the know much about the history and present situation of their variety of the seven territories and of the many Basque ancestral homeland. communities of the United States Diaspora, and above all they The idealisation of Euskal Herria by many Basques of the celebrate the many different ways of Çbeing BasqueÈ.

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