On the trail of the Basque whalers - euskadi.eus · GAURKO GAIAK / CURRENT EVENTS: On the trail of...

Issue 75 Year 2006

On the trail of theBasque whalers

GAURKO GAIAK / CURRENT EVENTS: On the trail of the Basque whalers

4 • Basque whalers established the first

industry in North America

6 • Aniaq: Mi’kmaq and Basques

8 • The seven expeditioners

10 • Logbook

14 • Xabier Agote, skipper: «The success ofthe expedition has encouraged us to plan otherprojects»

Articles:

16 • Bilbao hosts the «World Corporate Games 2007»

18 • A variety of genres and Basque authors at theInternational Film Festival of Donostia

22 • Euskal gazteak munduan / Basque youth: Flavia Días Galarza, Maider Koro,

Maraña Saavedra

OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES ABROAD

24 • The Lehendakari inaugurates Basque Government Office in Argentina

25 • Ibarretxe takes part in National Basque Week in Córdoba

26 • Tribute to Jesús de Galindez at Columbia University

27 • Twenty years in Brussels

EUSKADITIK / CURRENT EVENTS

28 • Cave paintings discovered in Deba, Gipuzkoa

29 • International experts support Basque peace process

30 • LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

CUISINE

31 • Gorka Txapartegi. Restaurante Alameda.Marinated tuna with citrus and fresh herbs

AURKIBIDEA / TABLE OF CONTENTS

EGILEA / AUTHOREusko Jaurlaritza-KanpoHarremanetarako Idazkaritza NagusiaBasque Government-GeneralSecretariat for Foreign Action

C/ Navarra, 201007 VITORIA-GASTEIZTelephone: 945 01 [email protected]

ZUZENDARIA / DIRECTORJosu Legarreta Bilbao

KOORDINAKETA ETA IDAZKETACOORDINATION AND EDITORIALOFFICEKazeta5 [email protected]

ARGITARATZAILEA / PUBLISHEREusko Jaurlaritzaren ArgitalpenZerbitzu NagusiaServicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco

DISEINU ETA MAKETAZIOA /LAYOUT AND DESIGNDidart

INPRIMATZAILEA / PRINTINGElkar-mccgraphics

ISSN: 1579-4229

L.G./L.D.: BI-1090-01

Issue 75 - Year 2006

Issue 75. Year 2006

On the trail of theBasque whalers

Nömadak tx

[ JOSEBA IÑAKI ARREGI ORUE ]

IntroductionAurkezpena

Issue 75 Year 2006 3GAURKO GAIAK

It is said that when Basque whalers taught the natives of Newfoundland how to answer the question “Zermoduz?” (How are you?), they added a twist of irony: “Apaizac obeto” (Not as good as the priests). Thatwas five hundred years ago. Today the playful expression has been chosen as the name for the expeditionembarked upon in July by six Basques and a native of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Newfoundland aimed at

recalling a piece of shared history between the two nations.Aboard the chulupa Beothuk, named in memory of the tribeexterminated when the Europeans arrived in Newfoundland,the seven-person crew – wearing fisherman’s garb of thesixteenth century – rowed nearly a thousand nautical milesfor six weeks to visit most of the whaling settlementsestablished by Basques in those far-away lands. The whalingvessel, measuring eight meters long (26 feet) and twometers wide (6’ 6”), was built of oak wood and a thousandhand-crafted nails at the Ontziola traditional boatyard inPasaia, Gipuzkoa. It is a replica of the oldest known“chalupa” whaling craft of its type, discovered alongside theSan Juan, a whaling galleon that sank during a storm inRed Bay in 1565. The expedition set out from the MaritimeMuseum of Quebec, headed up the St. Lawrence River as faras Prince Edward Island and set anchor at Cape Breton, NovaScotia. From there the crewmembers made the long journeyto Port aux Basques, followed the coast of Newfoundlandnorthward, crossed the Strait of Belle Isle and end thejourney in Red Bay, Labrador. The entire journey waspropelled by oar and sail. At the end of the expedition, thecrewmembers were thrown a welcome party complete with aletter of congratulations from the Lehendakari.

Adventure and scientific expeditionAPAIZAC OBETO EXPEDITION

4 Issue 75. Year 2006

llt started with the Basques.” This was thesentence coined by United States PresidentThomas Jefferson in 1788, alluding to thefact that a few centuries earlier the Basque

people had introduced the techniques ofindustrial whaling to the known world at thetime. Native populations such as the Inuit(formerly known by the misnomer of Eskimo)had been hunting whales before then. But it waswhalers from Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and the coast ofLapurdi that introduced whaling on acommercial scale, making the activity the firstindustry in North America.

Chronicles of the period indicate that Basques firstcame to North America in 1517, only seventeenyears before French explorer, Jacques Cartier;however, some historians suggest they made thejourney before Christopher Columbus in 1492.Whatever the case,the sixteenth century marked thegolden era of Basque fishing. At that time 2,000“arrantzales” are estimated to have set sail everyyear from Basque ports to the St. Lawrence River(Canada) – at that time known as Nueva Vizcaya – insearch of the giant mammals that reproduced andfed in the waters of the estuary on their migrationfrom the Arctic.Their blubber rendered down into oilwas a great source of wealth for the Basque Country.According to marine archaeologist Robert Grenier,abarrel of oil from that part of the world was worth theequivalent of 7,000 dollars today.

The Basques established a number of encampmentsin the St. Lawrence Estuary. Archaeologists withParks Canada (a government organization for theprotection of cultural heritage) have discovered atleast fifteen whaling stations dating to the sixteenthcentury scattered across the region.The greatestnumber of artifacts have been uncovered in Red Bay,Labrador, a strategic location for monitoring thewhales’ migration route. Among the remains stillseen today are the tryworks (ovens) used forrendering the valuable whale fat into the ‘petroleum’of the period, cooperages for making barrels, androofing tiles brought over from the Basque Country.On Saddle Island, facing the harbor, lie the graves of140 whalers who never made the journey home.

CURRENT EVENTS

ON THE TRAIL OF THE BASQUE WHALERS

BBaassqquuee wwhhaalleerrss eessttaabblliisshheeddtthhee ffiirrsstt iinndduussttrryy iinn NNoorrtthh AAmmeerriiccaa

Bale-ehizaren inguruan, euskaldunek IparAmeriketan lehenengo jarduera industrialabarneratu zuten. XVI. mendea produktiboena izanzen eta uste da mende horretan 2.000 arrantzaleinguru Euskal Herriko kaietatik San Lorenzokoestuariora joaten zirela, Kanadara, hain zuzen ere.Jarduera horrek aberastasuna ekarri zuen EuskalHerrira, baleen koipearekin lortzen zen olioagaraiko petrolioa izatera iritsi baitzen.

The relationship established between the skilful seamen andthe native population people was not only commercial.TheBasques also fostered linguistic exchange between Euskaraand the Mi’kmaq language. A number of historical studieshave documented cases of whalers leaving behind cabin boyswith the Mi’kmaq people when they would return home atthe end of the season.The cabin boys would then learn thenative language, thus paving the way for smootherrelationships the following season.

The whalers would generally set sail from the BasqueCountry the second week of June. It took around 60 days ormore to cross the Atlantic, depending on the particularconditions and difficulties that might arise. They wouldreach the shores of Newfoundland in the latter half ofAugust in time to intercept the whales during their autumnmigration from the Arctic Ocean to the south seas. Once they arrived, they would prepare theirencampment: wharves, tryworks, cooperages and their ownliving quarters.The whaling season lasted through the end ofthe year. In winter the harbor waters would freeze over andboats could become trapped.The whalers would only stay inAmerica during the winter if they hadn’t been able to fill theship’s hold.When that happened they would top off the loadin spring when the whales began to migrate northward.

The voyage home was usually shorter, between 30 and 40days, owing to favorable ocean currents and tailwinds.Thatis, if everything went well. The voyage was fraught withdanger – ships could go down in a storm and whalers had todeal with European pirates.

The ‘discovery’of Iceland

A variety of circumstances, such as the diminishing whalepopulation and the Spanish Crown’s petition for galleons andsailors to join the frustrated Spanish Armada,brought an end

to the flurry of Basque whalers in North American waters.Inthe seventeenth century Basque whalers continued huntingcetaceans off the shores of Newfoundland, soon followed byBritish and Dutch whalers,who extended their activity to theArctic Ocean in search of new fishing grounds near theSpitsbergen archipelago.

In 1613 the Basques tried to hunt whales in the waters offIceland.This new endeavor, which started out with up to 17ships, lasted only three years,the experience proving to be asharsh as the climate. In fact,many Basque sailors lost theirlives in the attempt – not drowned, but murdered – amongthem, Captain Martín de Villafranca from Donostia andtwenty of his men.

Icelandic historians have written about the hardships facedby Basque whalers in a poor inhospitable land.The localauthorities, and in particular the shift in thinking of DanishKing Christian IV,played a part in the ill-fated adventure.TheDanish Crown even issued decrees allowing Basque whalersto be attacked if Icelanders felt their way of life or laws werebeing infringed. But according to Cambridge professorMichael Barkham Huxley, expert in maritime history andsixteenth century Basque economics, it was more a questionof geopolitical and commercial interests than good or badbehavior that made the Icelandic people want to keep thelucrative business of whaling for themselves.

Remnants of Basque presence in Iceland include shipwrecksoff the coasts and a few vestiges similar to those found in theSt.Lawrence Estuary.

The arrantzales, who according to the Icelandic historianscovered their heads with red berets, went back toNewfoundland but now fished for cod along with whales andseals in an attempt to keep alive the trade the Basque peoplehad passed on to other nations.

Issue 75. Year 2006 5GAURKO GAIAK

BALE EHIZTARIEN ATZETIK

Utensils from theperiod and graves of

Basque mariners.

6 Issue 75. Year 2006CURRENT EVENTS

It’s a well-known fact that the Basques were pioneers inwhaling and cod fishing in Newfoundland and the Gulf ofSt. Lawrence since the early part of the sixteenthcentury, working the waters before other countries

arrived. Champlain himself, forefather of what is now Quebéc,defined us as protagonists in fishing and trade in the areabefore other nations.Therefore, it is not unrealistic to assumethat the first outside contacts with the native peoples in theregion came from Basque sailors.

If there is one thing above anything else that the Basques and theMi’kmaq have in common it is the survival over the centuries ofour culture and language despite the vicissitudes of history andbeing surrounded by nations far superior in number.

The Mi’kmaq lived and still live in what are today the Canadianprovinces of Québec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, NovaScotia and Prince Edward Island,and the U.S.state of Maine.Their territory was divided into seven districts, their mostimportant center being Onamag,on today’s Cape Breton Island.Their nation spoke an Eastern Algonquian language and had noorganized political structure. They were divided into semi-nomadic bands grouped in a number of extensive families.Eventoday no common organization exists;the Mi’kmaq Nation nowconsists of a total of 27 small reservations, all located inCanada, except for one in the USA, which was not officiallyrecognized by the federal government as an indigenous nationuntil 1991.

Before contact with the Europeans, the Mi’kmaq people calledthemselves Lnu’k.The word mi’kmaq means “my friends,” theterm they used to address the European seafarers who visitedthem.In any event,it should be pointed out that the Basques didnot only have contact with the Mi’kmaq. They also hadencounters with the Innu people (Montagnais) from thenorthern shore of the St.Lawrence and the now extinct Beothukin Newfoundland, and more sporadically with the Etchemin(now the Maliseet and Passamaquoddy tribes).

It has traditionally been said that the relationship between ourancestors and the Inuits (Eskimos) was much worse than thefriendly relations they enjoyed with the Mi’kmaq people.Mistrust and confrontation appear to have marked therelationships with the Inuit people. In fact,written accounts byFrench Jesuits blame the general feeling of resentment againstall Europeans on the abduction of a group of Inuit womencarried out by Basque sailors.However,it can hardly be said thatrelations with other groups were always idyllic. In 1611 FatherBiard wrote that a group of Mi’kmaq had flaunted their band’sboldness and courage by trying to kill Basques and Malouines(Normand sailors from St. Malo).There are also accounts inletters written by Jesuit missionaries saying that in the firstdecades of contact there was a Basque captain who refused toapproach the natives,spitting on the ground and telling them tokeep their distance because of their foul odor.This, of course,would have provoked a negative reaction. Needless to say, thegrease the natives often spread on their bodies to keep the thickswarms of mosquitoes away probably did not have a particularlypleasant smell. But then again our seafaring forefather surelydid not smell like roses.

United by trade lingo

What has clearly been demonstrated is the fact that theMi’kmaq distinguished the Basques, whom they calledBascuaq, from the French, Spanish or other nations. Anumber of witnesses, particularly Marc Lescarbot, pointedout that a pidgin trade language had spread through the Gulf

[AITOR ESTEBAN, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DEUSTO]


AAnniiaaqq::MMii’’kkmmaaqq aanndd BBaassqquueess

of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Acadia, based on amixture of Mi’kmawi’simk (the Mi’kmaq language’s nativename) and Euskara (and almost surely Innu, a similarAlgonquian language). Clearly, it was a limited trade jargon,of which we know only a few words today:the word for brotheris ania;kessona means man;a makia is a stick;origna meanselk, and pilotoy (pilotua is skipper in Euskara) is what theMi’kmaq people call their medicine men.

It has even been said that Souriquois, the name used by theFrench for the Mi’kmaq people, was of Basque origin.Theoretically, it came from the word zurikoa. I personallyhave serious doubts about this claim, since the term wasapplied exclusively to the southern Mi’kmaq bands (Maineand central and southern Nova Scotia), a region that wasmuch less frequented by Basque fishermen than the north.Moreover, the ending quois is commonly found in namescoined by the French for indigenous groups far from the areaof Basque contact. And curiously enough, the Basque endingfor plurals,ak, is the same as the formula used in the EasternAlgonkian languages aq (hence, Mi’kmaq as opposed to thesingular Mi’kmaw). So, by the same logic, the name for thetribe would have been Souriquoiaq.

In any event, Basque contact with the Mi’kmaq must havebeen more intensive and long-lasting than with other peoples.The desire to collaborate with the Mi’kmaq prompted anumber of Basque crews to leave one of their members withthe natives during the winter months. Generally one of thetxos, the youngest among the crewmembers, was selected tostay behind and learn the language.Some of them met tragicfates. In 1635 Jesuit missionary Paul LeJeune gave anaccount of an incident that occurred on the Gaspé Peninsula,in which a young man was killed and devoured by the nativesduring a harsh cruel winter that gave rise to more than onecase of cannibalism.

Collaboration between Mi’kmaq and Basques went beyondmere trade relations. In fact, revealing information shows thatthe natives worked shoulder to shoulder with our ancestors incod fishing and whaling. In 1626 López de Isasti said that theMontagnais people in the Strait of Belle Isle could speak a littleEuskara and that they worked together with the Basquesprocessing fish on dry land.And recent research has suggestedthat Pierre Desceliers’ 1546 world map depicts a Basquechalupa whaling boat along with a native.The picture showsBasque sailors wearing their traditional pointed hats.Curiously,the traditional costume for Mi’kmaq women today (andcertainly not in the sixteenth century) features a colorful woolcap with the same pointy shape.

A century-long relationship would surely have resulted in mixedmarriages.A little known fact is that the last name “Basque”isquite common among the Mi’kmaq, especially in the northernpart of New Brunswick and in Listuguj (Restigouche band),where the northernmost reserves are located.During those yearsof close contact, the Mi’kmaq also traveled to Euskadi. Forexample, we know from an account by Lescarbot that asagamore (leader) named Cacagous visited Baiona, where hewas baptized.

Some of the Mi’kmaq people still wish to acknowledge theirshared past with the Basques.In fact,we were not the first onesto tighten bonds by launching the “Apaizac Obeto”expedition.In1996 a group of Mi’kmaq people from Gespegewagi(Gespegeoag) on the Gaspé Peninsula sent a letter to the BasqueGovernment requesting the establishment of formal relations.This group,called the Mi’kmaw,had the closest contact with theBasques and, curiously enough, their dialect has morepeculiarities than any of the other dialects.Unfortunately, thatfirst attempt did not get off the ground.We hope that these smallsteps taken by both sides will promote better understandingbetween two nations that once considered each other aniaq.


Apaizac Obeto crewmembers with a group from the Mi’kmaq community.


8

Skipper and leader of the expedition, Agote is among the few boatbuilders and sailor-archeologists today. He learned his craft in the UnitedStates at the boat building school attached to the Maine MaritimeMuseum.There he was taught how to build traditional boats and tohandle all types of vessels. He has several transatlantic voyages underhis belt. One was the Atlantic Challenger, in which he rowed across theAtlantic in a boat called Euskadi. Agote is president of the AlbaolaElkartea association and head of the Ontziola Centre for TraditionalBoats Research and Construction.

XABIER AGOTE

Drama teacher and expert mountaineerfrom Ataun. He knows what it takes toclimb to the top but the sea is not hisnatural element and he had never beforefaced a challenge as demanding asrowing. Before starting the journey hewas very excited and later said that hewas really thrilled with the newexperience.

MOTXU IMAZWriter, bertsolari and rower in charge of chroniclingthe journey. His accounts, some of which werefeatured in the media, are being used to write abook, which together with a video of the six-weekadventure, will be presented at the 2006 DurangoBook Fair. This was the first sea expedition for theZumaia rower and one he will never forget. “It wasfate. I like rowing, my hobby is the sea and I’mfascinated by Newfoundland.”

JON MAIA

Beothuk-en itsasoratu ziren sei euskaldunak eta Mi’kmaqnazioko kidea XVI. mendeko larruekin eta antzekoarropekin jantzi ziren. Euskal marinelak itsasontzietanzeramaten antzeko produktuekin elikatu ziren, eta,horrez gain, nabigazio teknika zaharrak erabili zituzten.Espedizioan zihoazen zazpi pertsonek haizearen aurkaegin zuten arraun, eta klima aldakor baten ondorioakjasan behar izan zituzten.

The crew of the “Beothuk” was made up of six Basques and a nativeof the Mi’kmaq Nation of Newfoundland. The six Guipuzkoans aremembers of Albaola Elkartea, an association created to promoteBasque maritime heritage consisting of some thirty members fromdifferent parts of Euskadi. During the voyage, the members of thesea expedition wore hides and replicas of sixteenth centuryclothing. Patterns were made from garments found in the graves ofBasque whalers in Newfoundland which had been perfectlypreserved in the cold. The crew ate foods similar to what seafarersof the period would have had aboard their vessels: broad beans,cheese, walnuts, apple cider and unleavened bread, which theywould supplement with fish caught along the way. They wanted toreproduce as faithfully as possible the difficult conditions enduredby Basque whalers. TThhee sseevveenn


9

The only women on the crew, Miralles isfrom Ordizia, Gipuzkoa, and is a teacher atthe high school in Pasaia. Expert in projectsof this type, she also took part in “Hirupauso hiru norabide” and before that,another expedition called “Navigating Peace2003.”This latter was a journey to the rootsof sailing, involving a Basque trainera, theAmeriketatik, and a traditional Irish boat,the Colmcille. The adventure took place inIrish waters for the purpose of promotingpeace and reconciliation in Ireland andEuskadi. Miralles had supervisorialresponsibilities in the Apaizac ObetoExpedition. “I’m dreaming of the momentwe get to sail close to the whales,” confessedMiralles before boarding the Beothuk.

Born in Donostia,the profession of this crewmemberhas nothing to do with either sea or sport.Leizaola isa graphic designer.However,he is a kayak enthusiast– and sometime teacher – which is what put him intouch with the expedition organizers. And althoughhe had never put his skills to such a test, he had nodoubts about joining the expedition. Leizaola was incharge of navigation and technology aspects.“It’slike winning a prize,something I’d been searching forfor a long time.

IKER LEIZAOLA

Boat builderborn in Pasaia. He was part“Hiru pauso hiru norabide” (Three steps,three directions), an expedition involvingthree journeys in kayak through Scandinavianwaters in February and April 1998. His maintask was to make sure everything in thewhaling chalupa was in perfect working order.In Sistiaga’s words, “when you build a boat itbecomes the most important thing for you. Ikeep the Beothuk in my heart.”

MARKOS SISTIAGA

Member of the Mi’kmaq Nation fromNewfoundland and professional fisherman.Despite never having embarked on a journeyof this type, he was a vital member of thecrew. He is intimately familiar with the areaand with the unpredictable nature of theweather in the region. And being an expertfisherman, Bennet was in charge of makingsure the crewmembers’ diet of foodstuffsbrought from Euskadi was supplementedwith fish.

AARON BENNET

ANE MIREN MIRALLES

nn eexxppeeddiittiioonneerrss


B


Beothuk is finally slicing through the waters of the St.Lawrence River. Since the wind isn’t helping us makemuch headway, Xabier Agote, our skipper, has orderedus to start rowing. The motorized craft and sailingvessels greet us as they pass. People know who we are– we’ve been featured in most of the media. We take iteasy with our oar strokes: our rowing is for long-distance, not racing. Nightfall has caught us unawaresin the town of Saint Michel. Above the port there’s agrassy area, where we’ll spread our goatskins andsleep.

We got up at three in the morning to sail with thecurrent at low tide, given that on this great river it’simpossible to sail against the current. At times weseem to be surfing, and it’s a pleasure.

Island to island with the wind

Saint Jean de Port Jolie is not an island, but a smallvillage on the south bank of the river. A northeasterlystorm there cut us off from the outside world for four

days. The river is as rough as the sea. When thathappens there is nothing to do but wait. On themorning of the fifth day the river is still; it’s time toset off, we’ve been itching to move on.

We had a school of beluga whales (small, white whalesthat resemble dolphins) following our wake for abouta half hour. Just keeping an eye out for them helped toalleviate the drudgery of rowing.

We set off from Kakuna at five in the morning boundfor Île aux Basques (Island of the Basques). We havean important appointment: first with our own history,and at the same time with the mayor of the town ofTrois-Pistoles, opposite the island. “Basques” is theirsign of identity and hallmark for tourism: buildings,bars, Basque television, a Basque pelota court andeven a “Basque Adventure Park.” You can also seeikurriñas here and there.

The wind, which until now has been speeding us along,has with us with no choice but to stay where we are.

LLooggbbooookk

Jon Maiak espedizio honi buruzko kronikaharrigarriak idatzi zituen. Espedizio horrekmila milia baino gehiago egin zituen etaeuskaldunek Kanadan utzitako asentamendugarrantzitsuenak bisitatu. Honakoa.honakoa, protagonistetako batekkontatutako abenturaren laburpena da.

The expedition set sail on June 5th from theSt. Lawrence River, sailing downriver pastthe mouth of the Saguenay to the GaspéPeninsula. It then headed to Prince EdwardIsland and on to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.From there the expedition crossed the Gulfof St. Lawrence to Port aux Basques on thewest coast of Newfoundland. Thecrewmembers then sailed up the coast,crossed the Strait of Belle Isle and ended thejourney at Red Bay. The expedition covered atotal distance of one thousand nautical milesand included stops at the most significantBasque settlements. The following pagesinclude excerpts of impressions from JonMaia’s exciting chronicles.



We’re tired ... All of a sudden we hear a wateryexplosion to port, but only the quickest among uscatches a brief glimpse: It’s a whale! After 400nautical miles, our first whale.

Cap-des-Rosiers is located inside Forillon NationalPark, one of many nature reserves under theprotection of Parks Canada, our sponsor.

Today is a big day, the day we leave the great riverbehind. We know that from this point we’ll be sailingbetween huge cliffs.

Farewell to the river

Everyone has told us that the last few miles of theriver are magnificent, but as long as the mist holdsout, it’s all invisible us. At the exact place where thewaters of the river and the bay flow together, we restedand ate some cheese and walnuts. After the shortbreak, it was time to cross the seven-mile-wide Bay ofGaspé with the current in our favour but the windagainst us. So we rowed steadily and in just over twohours reached the shores of this new territory.

The port of Barachoix had a very familiar ring to it, sinceso many places in Euskal Herria have similar names.Fivehundred years ago our Basques ancestors named thisplace “barratxoa,” (small sandbank).We’re back again.Aaron used our oars and sailcloth to make a typicalNorth American Indian tepee, common among theHurons, Cree, Montaignais and a few other tribes.TheMi’kmaq people make theirs with birch bark instead ofcloth and call them wigwams.

John Joe Shark is the Mi’kmaqs’ spiritual leader onPrince Edward Island and represents them before theUN and the Vatican. He tells us that the Mi’kmaqs knowall about the Basques’ sailing skills.Together with thelocal natives, the Basque sailors were known to be thebest at sailing in fog. Documents written at the timereveal that the Mi’kmaqs sailed in boats like the BasqueBeothuk.The spiritual leader told us the Mi’kmaqs hadlearnt from the Basques how to sail the galleons stolenfrom foreign fleets.

There is little infrastructure in the small village; nopublic telephone, no square, the streets are unpaved ....The Mi’kmaqs have a small museum and a schoolwhere the Mi’kmaq language is taught a few hours aweek. They all speak English. Today, as in the past, the



mains tay for the people is fishing, along withgovernment aid. There are only 400 inhabitants in thisvillage. Yet the natural surroundings are spectacular,one of the most beautiful places we have seen so far.

The Acadians, a nomadic people

Even though we are approaching the English-speakingprovinces, in Miscou the people are Acadian and mainlyFrench speakers. Marine archaeologist Michel Bujoldtells us about this town.

Acadia means “beautiful land.” The first generationsof Acadians were French people who came to thesebeautiful lands in the seventeenth century in search ofa better life. When the English crown wanted to takecontrol of the lands, they went to war with theAcadians. The local Native Americans sided with theAcadians, while people from cer tain Europeancountries sided with the English. Acadia eventuallypassed to the English crown, bringing with it the totalsuppression of the French language and RomanCatholicism. Many Acadians were deported to Franceand other territories. But when the Acadians returnedto France 150 years later, their mother countryrejected them. It was too late to return home; by thenit was a different country. The Acadians were sent toother areas including Quebec and the U.S State ofLouisiana, a French colony at that time. Many tookrefuge in the Mi’kmaq lands.

In 1763 the Treaty of Paris brought peace between theFrench and English courts. Yet the Acadians had nopart in the treaty. When they returned to their lands,they had to work as servants to the English. Two and a

half centuries later the deportation orders are still inforce in those lands, and the Queen of England has yetto present her apologies. According to Michel Bujold,they are still second-class citizens in their own land.

A tree for Newfoundland

We can see Newfoundland ahead and that’s wherewe’re bound. As we draw closer we can make out SaintPaul, “the Island of Death.” It takes its name from thecountless vessels that have run up on the rocks. We arein the village of St. Lawrence, opposite the Island ofDeath. We have just passed the halfway stage in ourvoyage.

The fishermen of the on the Cap Breton peninsula havea four-month fishing season: two months for lobster andanother two for I[0]a kind of large crab$[1] similar tothe spider crab. Sometimes they also catch cod, halibutand turbot. Once the four-month fishing season is over,there is no other economic activity to do in winter, andthe people live off government subsidies.

Cap Breton is truly interesting from a sociologicalpoint of view. In some towns the French-speakingAcadians are in the majority. The res t of theinhabitants are mainly of Scottish and Irish descentand Gaelic is taught in some of the schools. The musicculture has deep roots here. The Celtic roots haveabsorbed the local styles, influenced by the Scottish,Irish and Acadians.

We cut down a tree from a wood on the Gulf of St.Lawrence, peeled off its bark and took it down to theport. There we removed Beothuk’s small bow mast andreplaced it with a new one, two and a half meterstaller. Instead of the small sail used so far, we’ve nowhoisted a foresail with a bigger surface area to catchthe wind and sail more quickly. We are taking a newtree to Newfoundland in search of our old roots, rootsthat reach all the way down to the bottom of this sea.

Fair Newfoundland

Seen from the sea, Newfoundland looks like a massive,limestone cliff. Broad green meadows, unending forest,clear, shallow sea, smiling people ...

The whole of Newfoundland’s northwest coast hasbeen chris tened with Basque names: Por t aux

«The whole of Newfoundland’s

northwest coast has been

christened with Basque names»


Basques, Opor Portu, Baye Ederra (Bonne Baye),Aingura Txar (Ingunachoix), Amuitz ( like inHondarribia), Amuitzko punta, Irlatxoak, Portutxoa(Port Aux Choix), Ferrol zaharra ... Opor Portu(literally “Port of Rest”), for example, is a calm,sheltered place, perfect for a rest. Aingura Txar(literally “Bad Anchor”) is not a good place forvessels to enter. And everything about Baye Ederra(literally “Beautiful Bay”) is truly beautiful. At themuseum we are welcomed by the authorities andmembers of local cultural associations. The next daywe are taken to see Portutxo Zaharra, a cove with asmall, rocky island in the middle. This is where thewooden constructions put up by the Basques to securetheir vessels were found.

Leaving Opor Portu behind, Beothuk sails past thelands of the Beothuk people, who were wiped off theface of the earth by colonists. They, too, reachedNewfoundland 10,000 years before. The Beothukpeople spent spring and autumn on this seashore.

We’ve been warned to expect bad weather, so we haveto push forward our plans to cross from Newfoundlandto Labrador. After sailing for twelve hours we spotLabrador and moor at Red Bay sooner than expected.

The Red Bay declaration

Red Bay is one of the world’s foremost maritimesanctuaries. There are four sunken Basque whaleboatsin the small bay in front of us. On Saddle Island 140Basque sailors are buried, all facing the sea. Dottingthe island are the remains of numerous ovens used torender the whale blubber, huts where the barrels weremade, roofing tiles brought from Euskal Herria tobuild the huts ... For several decades, starting in thesixteenth century, on average two thousand Basqueslived in Red Bay – four times the number who livethere today.

When we reached Red Bay, there were a lot of peoplein the small port awaiting Beothuk’s arrival. Just afew more strokes of our oars would find us rollingabove the sunken Basque whaling galleon, the SanJuan. Positioning ourselves over her, we raised ouroars in salute.

The San Juan, named after the town of Pasajes de SanJuan, sank in 1565; this is the “sunken treasure” ofRed Bay, and an element which UNESCO has chosento protect as a symbol of underwater cultural heritage.The San Juan is the best-preserved galleon and theone that has contributed the most information of allthe sixteenth-century ships found in the seven seas.Thecold waters of Labrador have preserved it perfectly.

In Red Bay they putup a building exclusively for ‘our’chalupa, as it now belongs to the world. The museumhouse much more than the Basque chalupa. Also ondisplay are the San Juan, the jugs found at the bottomof the bay, receptacles, work tools, pieces of the vessel,clothing found in the graves on Saddle Island,possessions found buried with the sailors, ovens, placeswhere the barrels were found .... All these form themosaic of an era – the most complete ever found,which soon will be designated a World Heritage site.

The Canadian government has invested millions ofdollars in this bay in order to recover our people’sheritage and history. And in this bay we’ve been ableto draw a major conclusion: that the sea is EuskalHerria’s largest window to the world. Century aftercentury, our nautical history has been the mostadvanced of any people’s in the world. The Dutch, theEnglish, the French, the Spanish ... they all learnt fromthe Basques how to hunt whales, how to build ships,how to get to this remote corner of the earth. Ifthere’s anything on this planet in which Euskal Herriahas been in the forefront, it is the sea.


«Red Bay is one of the world’s

foremost maritime sanctuaries.

Four Basque whaleboats lie at the

bottom of the small bay.»


TThe main objective of Albaola is to build authenticreplicas of boats used by Basque seamen of the pastand sail them using techniques known at the time. TheDonostia-born marine archeologist and boat builderlearned his craft in the United States at the MaineMaritime Museum and has spent nearly two decadesspreading Basque maritime culture and launchingexpeditions. The latest was a meeting with history andBasques whale hunters who 500 years ago made theirliving far from home.

Do you think that all the goals set before theexpedition were actually achieved?

We feel that all the expectations have been met. It wasimportant to us to revisit a chapter of Basque historythat has largely been left unwritten and undeveloped:Basque maritime heritage. The image of the BasqueCountry consists mainly of sheepherding. Both now andin the pas t we have had excel lent researchers,ethnographers, historians and anthropologists whosework has focused on agriculture and sheepherding, but

XABIER AGOTESkipper


«The success of the expedition hasencouraged us to plan other projects»

Xabierren pasioa itsasoa da, bere bizitzaitsasoaren inguruan doa, nabigazio

zaharren erreplikak egiten dituelako.Horrez gain, espedizioak antolatzen ditu

eta euskal itsasoko kultura

ezagutarazteaz arduratzen da. ApaizacObeto izan da bere azken abentura.Horrek beste proiektuetan pentsatzekoanimuak eman dizkio, baina hori bai,beti itsasoa bide, noski.



subjects related to the sea havenot received the samededication. I suppose it’s hardfor drylanders to understand thecomplex world of the sea. It’sfull of abstract concepts: firstof all, it’s not a solid mediumand many researchers havefound that an insurmountableobstacle. Very little is knownabout the history of Basque codfishermen and whalers.Although there are au thorswho’ve written books on thesubject, they’ve reached a verysmall propor t ion of thepopulation. Even in Pasaia, themost important whaling port inthe sixteenth century, the peopledon’t know about the history oftheir forefathers. One of theobjectives we set was to teachthe public about this past and at the same timepromote the Basque seafaring image in the verycountry where the mos t impor tant Basquearcheological remains have been found. We wanted toattract as many people as possible, which is why wemade the expedition as dynamic as possible By addinga sense of adventure, people became more interested.We’re really pleased with the experience.

Did the project pay for itself or did you receive publicfunding?

We weren’t financed 100 percent but we did getfunding from the private sector as well as publicagencies. The most important contributions came fromthe Oarsoaldea Development Agency, the Pasaia TownCouncil, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and theBasque Government. As for private companies, supportfrom Lagun Aro, Euskaltel, Webgetti, Amaiur andArgazki Denda was vital. Parks Canada, an agency ofthe Canadian Government, also provided us with a hugeamount of support and cooperation.

Will there be follow-up or other projects like this?

The expedition still hasn’t come full circle, but so farit’s been so successful that we’re encouraged to planother projects. Now that we’ve made good contactswith prominent people in the Canadian Government,the educational angle of this work should be easier.And we’ve only just begun. Now we’re involved inorganizing a series of conferences. Jon Maia, who’s afabulous storyteller, will give talks in Euskadi, and I’min charge of organizing the events abroad. Talks arealready scheduled to take place Barcelona’s SalónNáutico and in the city of Southamptonin the U.K. And

by spring we expect a travelingexhibition to go on display inEuskadi and Canada, andprobably in other parts of theworld, too. We’re also puttingthe final touches on adocumentary and a book isbeing written by our chronicler,Jon Maia.

The stars of the show were theseven of you, but I imagine a lotof other people worked long hourson the expedition.

Absolu tely. This projec t wasmade possible thanks to anenthusiastic group of volunteerswho linked the project to otherareas such as environmentalissues and promoting peace. To alarge extent, Apaizac Obeto was

possible because of the previous success ofAmeriketatik (from the Americas), anotherunforgettable experience we had 1998. Some friendswho run a training center invited me to build anineteenth-century fishing trainera. Knowing that itwas going to stay there, I thought I’d get the word outto the Basque of the diaspora. A lot of Basquesresponded, from Argentina to Canada, particularly theUnited States. In the end they provided us with 11million pesetas (over US$ 84,000) . The trainera wasgiven to the Basque Country and that’s how Albaolagot started – to manage and promote the project andprovide maintenance for the boat itself. We set out onan unprecedented journey, sailing the Basque Coastfrom Zierbena to Bayonne, which took 29 days andincluded 29 stopovers. The entire 12-person crewchanged at each port. 350 people took an active partby rowing. The positive repercussions from thatexperience made it possible for me to present theproject of reconstructing the typology of Basquevessels.

We’ve managed to make the Ameriketatik anemblematic trainera. We continuously pump newenergy into her and thousands of people have had thechance to enjoy her. She’s represented Basquemaritime heritage in a number of international events,such as the Universal Forum of Cultures in Barcelonaand in traditional boat competitions held in Brittanyevery two years. Two years ago we took second prizefor the best boat among 1,500. We were in Galiciafour years after the Prestige disaster to monitor theBay of Biscay, sailing the coast from Cambados toPasaia. I’d say we’ve managed to transform theAmeriketatik into a maritime emblem for the BasqueCountry. And all of it thanks to that project promotedby the Basque diaspora.

«It was important to us to

revisit a chapter of Basque

history that has largely

been left unwritten»


Anumber of authorities and personalities fromgovernment agencies, private enterprise andsports associations from the Basque Country

came to Bilbao for the official presentation of the 18thedition of the World Corporate Games. Over fourthousand sports enthusiasts from around the globe areexpected to meet in the capital of Bizkaia to take partin the world’s largest amateur multi-sports festival.The event, which runs from July 13th through 15th2007,will serve as an international spotlight on Basqueeconomy society and tourism potential. Present at theevent were Bilbao Mayor Iñaki Azkuna, GeneralDeputy of Bizkaia José Luis Bilbao, Minister ofIndustry, Trade and Tourism Ana Aguirre, and BBKPresident Xabier de Irala, accompanied by CorporateGames President and founder Maureen Johnston andJosé Angel Iribar, a prominent figure in the world ofBasque soccer.

After facing steep competition with other major citiesaround the world,Bilbao was selected to host the WorldCorporate Games, a worldwide amateur competitionthat combines sports, leisure and business.The multi-

BBiillbbaaoo hhoossttss tthhee WWoorrllddCCoorrppoorraattee GGaammeess 22000077

«World Corporate Games» jokoen XVIII.edizioa egingo da Bilbon 2007ko uztailaren13an, 14an eta 15ean. Kirol anitzekomunduko lehiaketa amateur handiena da.Bertan izango dira esparruinstituzionaleko, enpresetako eta kirolarloko hainbat agintari; hala nola, Bilbokoalkate Iñaki Azkuna; Bizkaiko ahaldunnagusi José Luis Bilbao; Industria,Merkataritza eta Turismoko sailburu AnaAguirre eta BBK-ko presidente Xabier deIrala. Ekitaldiaren helburua Bizkaikohiriburuan lau mila kirolari biltzea da, baieta errealitate ekonomikoa, soziala etaturistikoa erakusteko bidea izatea ere.Lehen aipatutakoez gain, MaureenJohnston Corporate Games jokoenpresidentea eta fundatzailea ere Bilbonizango da, bai eta José Ángel Iribar euskalfutbolari ospetsua ere.


Xabier de Irala, José Luis Bilbao, Ana Aguirre, Maureen Johnston, Iñaki Azkuna and José Angel Iribar at the presentatation of the World Corporate Games, Bilbao 2007.


sport event is backed by both government agencies –Bilbao City Council, Provincial Council of Bizkaia andthe central Basque Government– and privateorganizations such as Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK) andthe Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC). Support from thesport community is provided by internationally knownnames such as Joane Somarriba, José Ángel Iribar andthe Athletic Club de Bilbao soccer club. In the words ofIban de Endaya,director of the upcoming edition:“As awhole it is an event with solid backing,an initiative thataugurs well for the city and the entire Basque Country.”

The Corporate Games are the leading event of this type,with a history of 17 international editions, the 18thslated for Bilbao. In addition to the internationalchampionships, the Corporate Games community hasalso sponsored 14 area specific editions in whichthousands of athletes take part every year.

The venues for the different sports will be in the cityproper and in outlying areas. Championship sports willinclude cycling and running, among others.The festivalwill also feature events such as a parade and openingand closing ceremonies.The Hotel Carlton will be thegeneral headquarters and the Sheraton, the official seatof the Games.

The proposal offers an array of possibilities.“Given thatthe Corporate Games has a three-angle approach – sports,business and leisure – the offer is wide open so that eachvisitor, participant or companion can organize theiractivities based according to their objectives,” said Ibande Endaya.One day will be oriented towards business andtourism, and a variety of pre-planned or customizedactivities packages will be made available.

The championships

In terms of participation, over four thousand athletesfrom around the world are expected to attend.“Johannesburg hosted the most massively attended

edition with over ten thousand participants. As aleading proponent of the event, Nelson Mandelamade good use of the occasion to show the world thevir tues and openness of post apar theid SouthAfrica.” Iban de Endaya is sure that the Games willalso be an excel lent oppor tunity to showcaseEuskadi.

A wide range of companies and organizations willrepresented in the Games – from senior executives tofirst-time employees to people who simply have afriendly relationship with a particular organization –sharing teams and sports in a formula beneficial toall which creates a sense of camaraderie. Buildingteam spirit and developing emotional intelligence aredirect outcomes of this type of experience.

In keeping with the principle of maximumparticipation, the organizing team has made sure toinclude a variety of sports which will promoteparticipation by both men and women of all agesand skill levels, regardless of whether or not theywork for a particular company. “Suppliers, clients,family members and friends are invited to play onthe team of any par t icipat ing company ororganization. There are no flags or nations, onlycorporate logos and insignias to defend,” explainedIban de Endaya.

The event is also open to people with disabilities.

The organiz ing team did not want to let thisopportunity escape without encouraging culturalexchange. An event of this nature is ideal forpromoting indigenous sports such as Basque pelotaand “sokatira” (tug-of-war) and for helping Euskadito discover and learn more about other sports suchas badminton, netball (a type of basketball playedmainly by women) and dragon boat (a variety ofrowing very popular in English-speaking countries).

If you are interested in taking part in this sports event or have anyquestions, contact us by email at [email protected],phone (+34)944012925,or fax (+34)944012926, or visit theCorporate Games website:www.corporate-games.com

REGISTRATION AND CONTACT


Kutsidazu bidea, Ixabel” by Mireia Gabilondo andFernando Bernués;“Bosque de Sombras” by KoldoSerra; and “La Distancia” by Iñaki Dorronsoro:

three films which took part this past September in theZabaltegi section of the International Film Festival ofDonostia-San Sebastián. All three competed for the NewDirectors Award which carries a cash prize of 30,000 eurosand for the New Screenwriters Award,with 15,000 euros.

“Kutsidazu Bidea, Ixabel” is based on a novel of thesame written by Josean Sagastizabal, one of the mostwidely sold books in the Basque language in recentyears. It tells the story of a student who moves to a

farmhouse to improve her spoken Euskara. There sherealizes that what she’s learned at the Euskaltegi(Basque school) has little to do with the way peopletalk on the farm.

The movie pays homage to euskaldunberris, usingefficiency, a good sense of humor and realism to showwhat life was like for these hard-working students. Thefilm uses the summer of 1978 as a socio-politicalbackdrop. Present at the screening was LehendakariJuan José Ibarretxe and Minister for Culture MirenAzkarate, in addition to other important names inBasque culture.

AA vvaarriieettyy ooff ggeennrreess aanndd BBaassqquueeffiillmmmmaakkeerrss aatt tthhee IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall

FFiillmm FFeessttiivvaall ooff DDoonnoossttiiaaDonostiako Zinemaldiko Zabaltegi atalean,

igaro berri den edizioan, azken urtehauetako euskal zinemaren edo euskaldunek

egindako zinemaren ordezkaritzarikhandiena izan da. Alde batetik, Kutxidazubidea, Ixabel euskaraz egindako filma eta,

bestetik, herrialde desberdinekin egindakokoprodukzioak izan dira, hala nola, TheBackwoods. Batzuek Altadis-ZuzendariBerriak saria lortzeko egin dute lehia, eta,beste batzuek, berriz, Bereziak ataleanaurkeztu dituzte beren dokumentalak.

The team responsible for “Kutsidazu Bidea, Ixabel” directed by Mireia Gabilondo and Fernando Bernués.

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With a number of prizes for short films already underhis belt, Bilbao-born Koldo Serra competed in thissection with his first feature-length movie, “Bosque desombras (The Backwoods)”, a co-production betweenSpain, France and the U.K. The film is a drama thattakes place on a sweltering weekend in the lateseventies. With the visual feel of a Iwestern, it speaks ofthe conflic ts that can arise from a lack ofcommunication, particularly in the relationship betweenthe film’s leading couple.

Koldo Serra wrote the screenplay, together with JonSagalá, and presented it to producer Iker Monfort,who managed to co-produce it outside of Spain and tobring in actors Gary Oldman, Virginie Ledoyen andAitana Sánchez-Gijón.

“La Distancia” is the third Basque feature film thatcompeted for the New Directors Award and the NewScreenwriters Award. It is a suspense movie, a genrewhich director Iñaki Dorronsoro is quite fond ofbecause, in his words, “They’re entertaining films thatkeep the audience glued from beginning to end.”

It took the filmmaker from Gasteiz fourteen years toget back behind the camera after directing themedium-length film “El ojo del fotógrafo.” “It washard for me to feel comfortable and sure of myselfagain,” said Dorronsoro at the presentation of his newproject. Starring Federico Luppi and José Coronado,the movie tells the story of Daniel, a young boxer whoends up in prison and is pressured into committing amurder by a corrupt officer.

Documentaries too

Three Basque films were presented as part of the“Special Films” section: “Nömadak TX,” “Agian” and“Calle Silencio.”The first is a meeting of cultures basedon the txalaparta. Made by Raúl de la Fuente, HarkaitzMartínez de San Vicente, Igor Otxoa and Pablo Iraburu,this artistic documentary began to take shape four yearsago. It is structured like a road movie and was filmed indifferent countries including India, Samiland (Lapland),Mongolia and the Sahara. It tells the story of twomusicians who want to make the txalaparta a meetingplace for people and cultures.

One of the artists who collaborated in the project wasBasque singer, songwriter and musician, Mikel Laboa,thought to be the person who would best represent andencarnate the voice of Euskal Herria.

Arkaitz Basterra, director of “Agian,” Kirmen Urbe,Mikel Urdangarin, Mikel Valverde, Bingen Mendizabaland Rafa Rueda all met in New York in March of2003. Since Basterra had to make a documentary as a

project he started taping the recitals of the other five.As a result of this collaboration, when he got back thedocumentary was put together and presented at theFestival.

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At left, Koldo Serra, director of “Bosque de Sombras”

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Left to right: Igor Otxoa, Harkaitz Martinez de San Vicente and Raúl dela Fuente, protagonists and director of “Nömadak TX”

All of the artists who took part in this project agreethat the filmmaker from Bizkaia (Arkaitz Basterra isfrom Amorebieta) did an excellent job capturing thespirit and feeling behind each of the members and thegroup as a whole. Ondarroa poet Kirmen Uribecompares the Basque filmmaker with a merchant ship:“In the Bay of Biscay the shellfish gatherers had smallboats and if they wanted to go further out they had totie their boats to a merchant ship. I think that poetsalways travel in small boats and in this case themerchant ship was Arkaitz.”

Together with these young Basque filmmakers, whosemovies have already come out in commercial theaters,veteran filmmaker Juan Miguel Gutiérrez presented“Calle Silencio.” The documentary was screened aspart of the Made in Spain selection within the FilmFestival’s “Horizontes Latinos” section. It is about thestreet – a very specific, attractive and difficult elementused as a stage, where street musicians either try toeke out a living, or transmit part of their culture andinterpret their own folklore. The Donostia filmmaker‘collected’ musicians from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuadorand Romania like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. AsGutiérrez explains, “Hamelin rid the s treet ofundesirable elements but when the citizens refused topay him the price they had agreed upon, he lured all ofthe children away from their homes. The moral of the

story is that intolerance may make us clean the ratsfrom the streets but it will also take the children andthe happiness we need so badly.”

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Iñaki Dorronsoro, director of “La Distancia”

El Camino de San Diego” by Argentinian filmmakerCarlos Sorín competed in the Official Section at theDonostia Film Festival and came away with the

Special Jury Prize.T h e d i r e c t o rw a n t e d t ocomplete a kind oftrilogy he beganwith “Historias

Mínimas”(Minimal Stories/Intimate Stories in its U.K.andU.S. versions) – which also took the Special Jury Prize inDonostia four years ago – and “Bombón el Perro.” Sorínsays that from now on he is going to change the way he works“for fear of repeating myself.”

“El Camino de San Diego” uses Diego Maradona as apivotal figure, but the film is not about the life of thelegendary soccer player. “It’s only a reference,” explainedCarlos Sorín at the presentation of his film. “The picturewas originally going to be called “El Destino” (Fate)

because that’s exactly what it’s about – fate, belief,doubt …. I used a theme that is very much alivetoday: how a figure like Maradona can attract somany people and how their belief in him goes way

beyond the realm of sport.”The casting for the film was done in the province

of Misiones in Argentina, where the story takesplace. The lead character, Tati Benítez, is played byTati himself – Ignacio Benítez – a stage actor whoplays his own character just like the rest of the cast.

Carlos Sorín was very pleased once again to winthe same prize as he did for “Historias Mínimas” in2002. “Besides, it’s not a Special Prize from just

any old jury.This jury is an absolute luxury forany festival, and the selection of films iswonderful. These are the kind of things thatmake this prize mean much more to me.”

Special Jury Prize to Argentinian Carlos Sorín

22 Issue 75. Year 2006BASQUE YOUTH

FLAVIA DÍAS GALARZA

Chemistry graduate

«Writing a thesis is a full-time job»

BBAASSQQUUEE YYOOUUTTHH AARROOUUNNDD TTHHEE WWOORRLLDD

Flavia Días Galartza euskalemigranteen biloba da, etakostatu egin zitzaion bereaitonari buruzkodokumentazioa aurkitzea,erregistroan ageri ez zelako.Azkenean, Elizari eta oraindikere Uitzin bizi den Miguelizeneko bere aitaren lehengusutxiki bati esker eskuratuzituen. Gaur egun herritartasunbikoitza du, eta sintesiorganikoan doktore-tesiaamaitzeko erabakia hartua du.

HHer mother’s last name is Días andher father, now deceased, was aGalarza. As is customary in Brazil,Flavia’s official name is in thatorder, although in fact she goes byher father’s family name more thanher mother’s. In the early twentiethcentury her grandfather, theyoungest child in his family,emigrated from the village ofHuiciin Navarra, near the borderwith Gipuzkoa, to a town in Uruguaybordering with Brazil. There hemarried an Uruguayan, daughter ofa Basque immigrant with the lastname of Gorostidi.

Born in the city of Don Pedrito,in Río Grande del Sur, which marksthe border with Uruguay, FlaviaDías Galarza, graduate inChemistry, came to Donostia sevenyears ago with the idea of pursuingher Ph.D in organic synthesis, whichshe explains, “I haven’t managed tofinish yet.” While attending acongress when she was still anundergraduate, she met University ofthe Basque Country professor,Claudio Palomo, who had noticedFlavia’s last name among theparticipants. “He encouraged me tocome, but after I got my

undergraduate degree I left RíoGrande del Sur and moved to MinasGerais, where I worked at a researchcenter. After a while I wrote toProfessor Palomo and he answeredsaying that I still might be able tocome. So I did, and now he’s theadvisor for my doctoraldissertation.”

Flavia had always dreamed ofseeing the land of her Basque andEuropean roots. “In Brazil theinfluence from the United States isenormous and a lot of people wantto go there; but I was always muchmore interested in this part of theworld. I knew that at some point Iwould come.”

Everything began to fall intoplace. She was awarded a three-yeargrant from the Spanish Agency forInternational Cooperation (AECI).“But it’s impossible to put togetherat thesis in three years in the area Ichose. I applied for another grantfrom the University of the BasqueCountry (UPV), but when that ranout I still hadn’t finished, so Istarted working as a waitress. Justaround that time a law came outwhich allowed the grandchildren ofSpaniards to apply for Spanish

citizenship; it was the first attemptat legalizing foreigners, and with therestaurant job, I was eligible toapply for a work visa. I searched fordocuments on my grandfather, whichwere required, and found somesecond cousins in Huici.”

Red tape, renewing permits andwork forced Flavia to put herdissertation aside. “But then I gotanother grant from the UPV, whichallowed me to continue with myresearch. I divided my time betweenthe Ph.D and teaching Portugueseat a language school.”

After finishing the researchphase, it was time to start writingher thesis, “essentially a full-timejob.” But I also have to workwhatever jobs I can find, and thatdoesn’t make me feel verymotivated. But I know I have tomake my thesis a priority. I have tofinish it so I can look for other typesof work. I don’t want to go back toworking in a chemical lab, at leastnot synthesis. I’d rather work insomething related more to appliedchemistry, something more real.”

Issue 75. Year 2006 23BASQUE YOUTH AROUND THE WORLD

Graduate in History and Didactics

MAIDER KOROMARAÑA SAAVEDRA

Koro Donostiakoa da. 2005. urtetik Montevideon dabillanean, UNESCO Etxearen bekabati esker. Urte horietan ideiaeta horizonte berriak emandizkion beste kulturak ezagutuditu. Berak dioenez, errealitateezberdinak ezagutzeak kulturapropioaren ezaugarri askoulertzen laguntzen du.

BBorn and raised in Donostia, MaiderKoro Maraña belongs to the OEYgeneration (Over Educated Youth). Sheholds an undergraduate degree inHistory and Didactics and a post-graduate degree in DevelopmentCooperation; she has also taken severalcourses in Heritage and Museology,and in International Relations andCooperation. This profile, added to herexperience as a volunteer with SOSRacismo, opened up the doors toUNESCO Etxea, a program that fallsunder the Basque Government decreewhich regulates subsidies forinternational organizations of theUnited Nations for the purpose ofproviding grants to Basque volunteers.Since May 2005 she has been workingunder a grant in Montevideo, hercontract expiring in 2007.

Every day Maider proves what atireless ‘all-purpose’ young woman sheis. “I work for two agencies. One ofthem is the international office ofUNESCO, where I work in theDepartment of Culture and WorldHeritage. The other is called “CentroUNESCO de Montevideo,” an NGOthat shares the same ideals asUNESCO, but concentrates on areassuch as the culture of peace, culturaldiversity and the participation ofyoung people in society, amongothers.”

From her headquarters inMontevideo, Maider has developedprojects with international scope. “In2005 I worked in the region of theGuaraní Jesuit Missions (Argentina,

Paraguay and Brazil). I took part in aworkshop with teens and young adultsof the Mbyá Guaraní people. Based ontheir material, intangible and naturalheritage, important research wasconducted on their identity and how theyare seen in the world today.” She alsoworked on a book entitled “La Ruta delEsclavo en el Río de la Plata: su historiay sus consecuencias” (The slave routein Río de la Plata: history andconsequences), which taught her aboutthe situation of the region’s Africandescendents.

Last year, her most recent projectwas to organize six theory andpractice workshops for young peoplefrom Montevideo and the interior onheritage and museums. “We used avery dynamic, participatory approachwith over fifty par ticipants,introducing them to the area ofheritage, what affect it has on apeople’s cultural identity, and how itcan be displayed and portrayed inmuseums and cultural centers.”

Maider says that the people inUruguay are very open andwelcoming, which made it easy forher to fit in. What she misses most

about so far from home is not beingable to be with her loved ones. “I trynot to think about them too much,”says Maider. “I miss the mountains ofthe Basque Country – Uruguay ispretty much flat – and I miss the sea.Río de la Plata is very different. Atfirst I missed being able to speakEuskara, but since the arrival ofother Basque volunteers, now I get tospeak it every day.”

She recommends that everyonelive in a different country for a time.“I’d even say that it’s necessary to getout and experience other cultures. Andit’s not only based on my ownexperience. I’m also talking aboutother people from the Basque Countrywho come to visit us in Uruguay. Theyall say that coming to the region hasenriched their lives and in some casesthey see how they’re forced to setaside any preconceived ideas andconcepts they had.There’s no questionthat any experience in a foreigncountry opens you up to new ideasand horizons. Learning about howother people live helps us tounderstand a lot about our ownculture.”

«It’s necessary to get out andexperience other cultures»

EEUUSSKKAALL GGAAZZTTEEAAKK MMUUNNDDUUAANN

24 Issue 75. Year 2006KANPO HARREMANAK

On November 21st LehendakariIbarretxe officially inaugurated theBasque Government Office in Argentina,located in the Buenos Airesneighborhood of Puerto Madero.This isthe fifth official Basque GovernmentOffice to open outside of Euskadi. Thefirst was the Brussels office, whichrecently celebrated its twentiethanniversary, followed by Madrid, MexicoCity and Santiago de Chile. More officesare slated to open in American andEuropean cities in the upcoming years.

In addition to the Lehendakari,speakers included Basque delegate inArgentina, Marieli Díaz de Mendibil andSecretary General for Foreign Action,Iñaki Aguirre. Also attending the eventwere SGAE directors (GeneralSecretariat for Foreign Action) MikelBurzako and Josu Legarreta andadviser Joseba Agirretxea; BasqueMinister of Education, Universities andResearch, José Antonio Campos andBasque Minister of Justice, Employmentand Social Security, Joseba Azkarraga,plus deputy ministers and directors ofvarious Basque Governmentdepartments, representatives of themajority of Basque Centers in Argentinaand Uruguay and their respectivefederations, FEVA (Federation ofArgentinian-Basque Entities) and FIVU(Federation of Uruguayan-BasqueEntities), and senior management ofBasque companies based in Argentina.

The Lehendakari inaugurates BasqueGovernment Office in Argentina

The Federation of Argentinian-Basque Entities (FEVA), theumbrella group representing nearly 100 Basque centersthroughout Argentina with some 20,000 members, has made adeclaration in favor of Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe. TheLehendakari is the subject of a criminal investigation initiated bythe Basque Court of Justice for having called a public meetingwith Batasuna in the framework of the peace process underwayin Euskadi. The declaration is signed by Mariluz Artetxe andFelipe Eiheragibel, president and secretary of the Federation.

FFoorr mmoorree iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn:: hhttttpp::////wwwwww..ffeevvaaoonnlliinnee..oorrgg..aarr//iinnddeexx11..hhttmm

FEVA asks that criminal charges be dropped against Ibarretxe


Ibarretxe cuts the ribbon at the official inauguration of the Basque Government Office in Buenos Aires.

The Lehendakari alongside Basque Government authorities at the Basque Government Office in Buenos Aires.

Issue 75. Year 200625


The Lehendakari’s agenda took himto the city of Córdoba on November26th in order to take part in theofficial acts surrounding NationalBasque Week in Argentina and toreceive the distinction of DoctorHonoris Causa from the NationalUniversity of Córdoba. During his stayin Argentina’s second largest city, hemet with Córdoba Governor De laSota, who welcomed the Lehendakariwith honors and protocol generallyreserved for presidents.

On the 28th the Lehendakariattended a joint meeting of theBoards of Directors of FEVA and theBasque Centers. At the meetingFEVA conducted an evaluation of themost important programs undertakenin 2006, such as the “Huella Vasca”photograph exhibition on display in30 cities, Euskera classes for 800adults and 780 children, 75educational conferences, and weeklyradio programs in 26 cities, amongothers.

After the meeting with the Boardsof Directors, the Lehendakari spokebefore an audience of 750 membersof the Basque community andpresented www. konpondu.net, awebsite geared toward encouragingthe diaspora to take part in Basquepolicy.

After the day’s business was over,musical entertainment was providedby Maral, the local music group fromthe Arrecifes Basque Center, LitoVitale and Kepa Junkera – who took

advantage of hist r a n s - A t l a n t i cjourney to givec o n c e r t s i nMontevideo andSantiago de Chile.

Basque Weekcame to a closewith hundreds ofy o u n g p e o p l eperforming Basque dance in thestreets and a meal enjoyed by 1,300members of Basque centers, many of

whom had traveled 10, 15 and even20 hours to Córdoba to join in thecelebration.

Ibarretxe takes part in NationalBasque Week in Córdoba

KANPO HARREMANAK

Lehendakari named Doctor Honoris Causa by the National University in Córdoba

Above, the Lehendakariand his wife are welcomedwith honors at the Córdoba

airport. Right, Chancellorof the National University

of Córdoba bestows theLehendakari with the

degree of Doctor HonorisCausa.

©FERMIN LABAQUI

Jesús de Galíndez, one-time BasqueGovernment representative in NewYork and professor of ColumbiaUniversity, was paid special tribute byuniversity and Basque Governmentauthorities at an event held atColumbia University’s Center forInternational Conflict Resolution inNew York.

Lisa Anderson, Dean of theSchool of International and PubicAffairs, and Andrea Bartoli, Directorof the Center for InternationalConflict Resolution, hosted the event.Attending the event on behalf of theBasque executive was Josu Legarreta,Director of Relations with BasqueCommunities, and Joseba Agirretxea,assistant to the General Secretariatfor Foreign Action. GloriaTotoricaguena, Director of the Centerfor Basque Studies at the Universityof Nevada, Reno, and Irune Zuluaga,Director of the Sabino AranaFoundation were also present.

The event was also used to launchthe revised edition of Iñaki Goioganaand Iñaki Bernardo’s book “Galindez:la tumba abierta” (Galindez: the OpenTomb), the outcome of extensiveresearch on the life and character ofJesús de Galíndez.

Professor Andrea Bar toliexpressed how grateful ColumbiaUniversity was for having had bothJesús de Galíndez and LehendakariAguirre on the teaching staff. Healso recognized what a privilege itwas to take part in a ceremony tohonor a man still very much alive inour memory who fel l vic tim toviolence for defending human rightsand democracy for all individualsand nations around the world.Professor Totoricaguena gave ahistorical overview of the role playedby Basque Government officesaround the world during the post-war period, placing special emphasison the work carried out at the NewYork office.

The representatives from theBasque Government presented areview of the current politicalsituation in Euskadi, saying that theprospects look hopeful. “We arefacing an excellent opportunity toattain peace and to reach politicalagreements that will put an end to apolitical conflict that has been goingon for nearly 200 years.” Theystressed to the audience that “theright to decide is key to resolving theconflict.”

North AmericanBasques set

their sights on the future

The Center for Basque Studies atthe University of Nevada, Reno,was the venue for the first meetingbetween representatives fromNABO (North American BasqueOrganizations, Inc.) and Basquecenters in Canada, held on October20-21st. Elena Sommer headed thedelegation from Vancouver, andJean Claude Elissalde representedMontreal. The Mexico City Basqueclub was represented by clubpresident, Eduardo Ormaechea, andhis wife. The aim of the gatheringof delegates from Basqueorganizations throughout NorthAmerica was to get to know eachother and to explore the potentialfor shared efforts.

On the first day some twentyyouth group leaders from Basqueclubs in the United States met tolaunch a new initiative aimed atpromoting the youth movement inBasque clubs of the AmericanWest. On another note, folkloristJuan Antonio Urbeltz, on aspeaking tour in the United States,spoke at the University of Nevadaon his personal interpretation ofsome of the best-known Basquefolk dances.

On Saturday most of theparticipants in Reno spent a fullday in Gardnerville, where NABOheld its fall meeting. One of themost interesting presentations wasmade by Gloria Totoricaguena,Director of the University ofNevada Center for Basque Studies,on the role of Basque clubs in theUnited States today. Last on theagenda, a nine-member task forcewas created to draft a Four-YearPlan to be presented at the FourthWorld Congress of BasqueCommunities hosted in Bilbao inJuly 2007.

official activities abroad

26 Issue 75. Year 2006KANPO HARREMANAK

Josu Legarretahands the Dean of ColumbiaUniversity’sSchool ofInternational andPubic Affairs acopy of the bookabout Jesús deGalíndez on the50th anniversaryof his murder.

Columbia University and theBasque Government pay

tribute to Jesús de Galindez

Sydney andTownsville learn

Euskara with«Boga»

Invited by the Gure Txoko Basque

Club in Sydney, Josu Legarreta,

Director of Relations with Basque

Communities, took part in the club’s

40th anniversary. 150 people showed

up at the Rydges Jamieson Hotel

Sydney to join in the celebrations. In

addition, Boga, the online Euskara

language program, was installed at

the club locale by HABE technician

J. Zinkunegi Zinkunegi. A number of

meetings were organized in late July,

early August surrounding Legarreta

and Zinkunegi’s visit to Sydney to

introduce the program to club

members and representatives of the

university.

In the city of Townsville, Josu

Legarreta and Zinkunegi met with

members of the Basque Club of

North Queensland and authorities

from the city government. The

Basque representatives were given a

warm welcome by 150 people from a

variety of local organizations. The

Basque Centre of Townsville now has

a handsome building and plans to

build a fronton court, with funding

from the city government and the

Basque Pelota Federation. The

representative from the Basque

Government also had the chance to

visit the housing development being

built by José María Goikotxea. In

four years’ time the project expects

to provide housing for 12,000 people

and all of the streets will be named

after Basque towns and families. The

Boga program was also introduced

in Townsville. The Basque

representatives then visited

Melbourne, where the Gure Txoko

Basque Society sponsored an event

held in a large park in the outskirts

of the city to celebrate the day of

San Ignacio.

KANPO HARREMANAK

Issue 75. Year 200627


The Lehendakari surrounded by guests at the reception held in the Brussels Town Hall.

On November 2nd the city ofBrussels hos ted a series ofcommemorative acts revolvingaround 20 years of Basque presencein the European Union. At the sametime the Basque Office celebrated itstenth anniversary in the Europeancapital.

Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxehosted a reception in the BrusselsCity Hall for personalities fromEuropean Union ins titu tions,diplomatic representatives andmembers of the Basque communityin Belgium. In his address theLehendakari thanked the Belgianpeople for having welcomed Basqueswho were forced to seek refuge inother countries during the Civil Warand for al lowing the BasqueGovernment to open an official officein 1937. The Lehendakari recalledthe major obstacles created by theSpanish Government 50 years laterto keep Euskadi from establishing itsown government offices abroad. Butthanks to a ruling of theConstitutional Court, the first officeopened its doors in 1996 – inBrussels – fol lowed by others.Ibarretxe also underscored theimportance of the recent support byEuropean institutions for the peaceprocess in Euskadi, adding that“peace is the best gift the Basquepeople can offer Europe.”

Following the official ac tover500 guests took part in a galaevening at the Bozar palace. Thedance group Aukeran gave aperformance featuring a fusion oftraditional and modern dance. Aperfect finish to the evening wasprovided by the exceptionallytalented soprano from Tolosa, AinhoaArteta, who gave a highly stirringconcert.

The delegation from Euskadi washeaded by Lehendakari Ibarretxe,accompanied by LehendakariArdanza, Ministers Javier Balza andEsther Larrañaga and the SecretaryGeneral for Foreign Action, IñakiAguirre, among others. Thedelegation was met by representativeof Euskadi in Brussels, IbonMendibelzua.

20 years of Basque presencein the European Union

The Lehendakari and representative ofEuskadi in Brussels, Ibon Mendibelzua, infront of the Brussels headquarters

28 Issue 75. Year 2006EEUUSSKKAALL EETTXXEEAAKK

The discovery of cave paintings atPraileaitz I, an archeological sitein the town of Deba, Gipuzkoa,may mark a before and after inhow we interpret Basqueprehistory. The discovery happenedlast August, and although data hasyet to be verified, there is anatmosphere of great expectation –and a lot of excavating andunearthing still to do.

It is almost certain that thesepaintings date back further thanthe impressive por trayals ofanimals in Ekain, Zestoa (Middleand Upper Magdalenian), andAltxerri in the municipality of Aia(Late Upper Magdalenian) –somewhere between 12,000 and15,000 years. That means theyalso predate the Santimamiñecave paintings in Bizkaia, whichdate back 13,000 years.

The cave paintings found atPraileaitz I may be as old as20,000 years and haveprovisionally been catalogued asrepresentations made during theSolutrean period. For the timebeing the only thing we know forcertain is that the find consists ofgroups of dots and lines, asopposed to the groups animals(horses, bison, bears, deer, etc.)found in Ekain and Altxerri, theonly two caves in Gipuzkoa wherepaintings have been found.

The Praileaitz I cave wasdiscovered in 1983 by MikelSasieta and Juan Arruabarrena,members of the Munibe group ofAzkoitia. Since 2000archaeologist Xabier Peñalver ofthe Aranzadi Society of Scienceshas led a series of excavations inthe area. The discovery of five

necklaces with 29 pendants lainhidden for 15,500 turned thespotlight on this cave. Allindications point to the site havingbeen used for some sort of magicalor spiritual ritual.

Last June the ProvincialCouncil of Gipuzkoa and the DebaTown Hall signed an agreementwhereby the two institutions wouldcontribute 218,000 euros over thenext to years to suppor t theexcavations undertaken by XabierPeñalver’s team.

The Basque Government hasalready begun the process of ofattaining ‘cultural property’ statusfor the paintings in accordancewith the Basque Cultural HeritageAct of 1990, and has requestedthe necessary measures be taken to provide the paintings with thehighest level of protection.

EEUUSSKKAADDIITTIIKK

One of the galleries of the Praileaitz cave and a pendant in the shape of Venus found inside the cave.

Cave paintings discovered in Deba, Gipuzkoa

©SON

IASA

NJO

SE

Issue 75. Year 2006 29BBAASSQQUUEE CCEENNTTEERRSS

CCUURRRREENNTT EEVVEENNTTSS

Patricia Buriticá from the Colombian Women’s Peace Initiative; Etweda A. Cooper, Liberian Women’sInitiative; Nora Cortiñas, founding member of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo-Linea Fundadora,Argentina; Ann Hope, Northern Ireland; Amal Khreishe, Jerusalem Center for Palestinian Women,PWWSD; Debby Lerman, Bat Shalom, Israel; Olga Lucía Ramírez, Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres, Colombia;Luljeta Vuniqi, Kosovar Women’s Network; Stasa Zajovic Women in Black, Serbia.

On October 24th nine women fromcountries at war or in post-conflictsituations, including Colombia,Northern Ireland, Palestine, Israel,Argentina and the Balkans, signed aninternational declaration stating theirsupport for an open dialogue to find asolution to the Basque conflict andcalled for the direct participation ofwomen in any negotiations that takeplace.This declaration adds to the longlist of supporters from around theworld who wish to express theirsupport for the peace processunderway since the beginning of theETA ceasefire. The document wassigned in the framework of aconference entitled “WomenGenerating Peace,” organized byEmakunde in Donostia.The signatoriesendorse the peace process and make itclear that “only by dialogue, mutualunderstanding and negotiation can

political problems be resolved and areal and long-lasting peace be built.”

The declaration also acknowledges“the valuable role that women haveplayed around the world as catalysts ofpeace, promoting dialogue anddefending reconciliation among peopleand communities.” Lastly, theparticipants stressed that “it isessential for women to participate inpeace negotiations to find the solutionto the Basque conflict, and for thisprocess to incorporate theirexperiences, interests andexpectations, as urged by UnitedNations Security Council Resolution1325.

The document was delivered to theSpeaker of the Basque Parliamant,Izaskun Bilbao, by the Director andGeneral Secretary of Emakunde,Izaskun Moyua and ArantzaMadariaga, on October 26th.

Canadian WebcasterJumpTV has signed anagreement with EiTB tobroadcast the Basquemedia group’s twointernational TV channels(ETB Sat and Canal Vasco)and five radio s tations(Euskadi Irratia, RadioEuskadi, Radio Vitoria,Euskadi Gaztea and EiTBIrratia) over the Internet.Subscribers can opt forindividual channels or thecomplete Basque mediapackage. The montly fee forthe full package is $16.95(around 13.51 euros).

In the very near futuresubscribers will also be ableto select their televisionprograms à la carte or inspecial packages, in additionto the full programming ofETB Sat and Canal Vasco.In other words, viewers willbe able to select specificprograms, such as the lastten games of the bare-handed ‘four and a half’pelota championship or thefive most popular“Wazemank”episodes airedlast season.

JumpTV is a pioneer inonline television and radiodistribution. With over 180channels from around theglobe, the company delivershigh-speed television qualitybroadcasting via ordinaryInternet connections.

International experts sign declaration in support

of peace processCanal Vasco

improves qualityand programming

with JumpTV

©KA

RLOS

CORB

ELLA

E mail Txoko

@

@@

@@

[email protected]

S@reanThis online “txoko” is designed to encourage ourreaders to send in their thoughts, suggestionsand comments. Your input will help us bring youa better magazine!

@ @

@@

@

Acknowledgment

On behalf of the Basque Club ofConcordia – in the Province ofEntre Ríos, Argentina – we’d liketo thank you for the magazinesthat have been sent to ourmembers. They have helped us tounderstand the country of ourelders and to see the work you arecarrying out there.

Shortly we will be sending youthe addresses of our new members.Please accept a warm embracefrom Concordia.

Dr. Juan Pedro SAURÉ

Dear “Euskal Etxeak” team:

I receive the magazine at myhome in Morocco. I’d like to thankyou for keeping us informed aboutsome of the activities andinitiatives promoted by theBasque Government aimed atBasques dispersed around theglobe. Eskerrik asko!!!!

Best wishes,

Mª Esther ARRIETA. FranciscanMissionary of Mary

Nere adiskide maiteak:

Lehenengo nere eskerriksutsuenak, hain leial aldizkari etaorriaren bidez horko berriakbialtzen dizkidazutelako. Nahizatzerrian egon, gure Euskal Herrimaiteko albisteak pozik eta gogoonez odol zaiñetatik korritzendute.

“Euskal Etxeak” aldizkarien bidezesaten diguzute nahi baduguoroipen argazkiak. Hemenbidaltzen dizuet argitarazteko.

Aurretik nere esker ona.

Iñaxi (Bolivia)

(Kontraportadan agertzen daargazkia)

@ @ @

POEM INSPIRED BY GALINDEZ

Un hombre prematuro y futurista,

dedicado, fiel y altruista.

Que extendió la definición de la palabra “vida” al máximo,

sin titubeos y con gran valentía.

Respeto, admiración e idolatría,

aunque esta última se esfuma para convertirse en energía,

que no tiene fin al atravesar la razón de la objetividad

y convertirse en fuerza espiritual

a la que persigo pues vivo ésta, imperfecta y bella vida.

Itziar Albisu Gojenola

(President, Eusko Etxea of New York)

@

Issue 75. Year 2006

FFoorr tthhee mmaarriinnaaddee::Place the tuna in the marinade forhalf an hour. Remove from marinadeand cut the tuna into 1-cm thickpieces. Lightly sautee in warm oil. Fishshould remain pink.FFoorr tthhee ssooyy ccaarraammeell:Combine the sugar and vinegar andheat until it begins to brown.Add the soy sauce.

NN EE WW BB AA SS QQ UU EE CC UU II SS II NN EE

I N G R E D I E N T S

FFoorr tthhee mmaarriinnaaddee1 liter seawater (boiled)50 cl. cider vinegarOrange peel200 gr. fresh tuna

FFoorr tthhee ggaarrnniisshhChives, chervil,watercress, parsley, etc.Orange peel cut intojulienne strips, scalded

FFoorr tthhee ssooyy ccaarraammeell1 tablespoon sugar1 tablespoon cidervinegar3 tablespoons soy sauce

Gorka TxapartegiRestaurante AlamedaMinasoroeta 1, 20280 Hondarribia • www.restalameda.com

C O L L E C T I B L E

Gorka Txapartegi is the third generation of family restaurateursto run the Hondarribia-based Restaurante Alameda, now in its62nd year of business. So, it goes without saying that Gorka wasraised among the pots and pans of the family restaurant, whichhe took charge of in 1992. After honing his craft alongsideMichelin-star chefs and traveling around the worldrepresenting Euskadi – from Osaka to Oporto to New York, in1997 he was finally awarded a star of his own. Gorka took firstprize in a ‘cooking in miniature’ competition (pintxos) andanother competition which pitted young chefs from all overSpain. But perhaps the most unique honor he’s been given is the“Hondarribia Tuna” award. Below is one of the recipes that layclaim to this particular honor.

MM AA RR II NN AA TT EE DD TT UU NN AA WW II TT HH CC II TT RR UU SS AA NN DD FF RR EE SS HH HH EE RR BB SS

PP RR EE PP AA RR AA TT II OO NN::

1111

PP RR EE SS EE NN TT AA TT II OO NN::

Draw a spiral of soy caramel onthe plate and place the tuna in thecenter. Decorate with juliennedorange peel and fresh herbs.

Photo album

Abaltzisketako haur talde bat eskolatik irten ondoren, hauetako batzuenetxe atarian 1942 urtean.

Iñaxi (Bolivia)

DDOO YYOOUU HHAAVVEE AA PPIICCTTUURREE TTOO AADDDD TTOO TTHHEE AALLBBUUMM??If you do, and would like to see it published here, send itto by e-mail to: eeuusskkaalleettxxeeaakk@@eejj--ggvv..eess

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On the trail of the Basque whalers - euskadi.eus · GAURKO GAIAK / CURRENT EVENTS: On the trail of...

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