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News Archive - Spring 2002  Spring 2002 Center for Basque Studies Newsletter now available! Issue 65 of the Center for Basque Studies Newsletter is now available in Adobe portable document format (PDF). Our “newsletters” main page has a handy link for downloading a free copy of Acrobat Reader so that you can read the new issue on the web. Hard copies will also be mailed out this week, for those of you on our regular mailing list. Please contact us if you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive a hard copy, or if you would like to be placed on an electronic notification list to let you know by e-mail when each issue is available on the web. There is no charge for either service. |
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Andoni Alonso presents talk in Basque Lecture Series Visiting scholar Andoni Alonso of the Universidad de Extremadura presented a talk on “Basque Cyberculture” at the University of Nevada, Reno on May 13. Dr. Alonso discussed Basque contributions to cyberculture, which he defined as “every artifact and product, every individual and collective behavior, every ideology and concept stemming from the implementation of new technologies of information.” Prof. Alonso said that many of the ideas presented in his lecture were from a recent book he co-authored with Iñaki Arzoz, La nueva ciudad de Dios (Madrid: Siruela, 2001). The multimedia project includes a CD and an Internet site at siruela.com/ncd. |
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Joseba Gabilondo contributes to book on Identity Joseba Gabilondo published an essay on “Uncanny Identity: Violence, Gaze, and Desire in Contemporary Basque Cinema” in Constructing Identity in Contemporary Spain: Theoretical Debates and Cultural Practice, edited by Jo Labanyi (Oxford University Press, 2002). |
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Gabilondo lectures on minority languages Dr. Joseba Gabilondo presented a lecture on May 9 at the University of California, Santa Barbara, on “Minority Languages in the Hispanic World from the Renaissance to Globalization: Euskara, Nahuatl, and the Atlantic Internet.” His visit was sponsored by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. |
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Linda White authors second Basque language manual Dr. Linda White of the Center for Basque Studies recently published a second explanatory text and workbook for the Basque language. White’s Manual and Workbook for Learning Basque at Home. Basque C102 is designed for use with the second-semester online Basque language class offered through the University of Nevada’s Department of Extended Studies. |
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Director Zulaika interviewed by Egunkaria Center Director Joseba Zulaika was interviewed by Basque daily newspaper Egunkaria regarding the Center’s latest activities. The full-page article appeared in the May 5 issue. |
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Gabilondo, Zulaika participate in Iberia 2002 conference Joseba Gabilondo and Joseba Zulaika participated in the Iberia 2002 International Seminar Series, VI Encounter, “The Uses of History in Spanish Cultural Studies,” held at Duke University May 3-5. Dr. Zulaika’s talk was “Anthropologists, Artists, Terrorists: The Basque Holiday from History.” Dr. Gabilondo spoke on “The Spanish Uses of Basque History: On the Spanish Real and its Ghostly State in Globalization (On Oteiza, Juaristi, Savater, and M. Azurmendi).” The conference was sponsored by the Duke in Madrid Program and the Romance Studies Department. |
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Zulaika publishes article in La nueva ciudad de Dios Director Joseba Zulaika published a piece entitled “La ironía como discurso necesario” in the book La Nueva ciudad de Dios by Andoni Alonso and Iñaki Arzoz (Madrid: Siruela, 2001). Andoni Alonso is currently visiting the Center and will present a talk on Basque cyberculture next week. |
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Basque Studies Library featured in Reno newspaper The Basque Studies Library and Librarian Marcelino Ugalde were featured in the Reno Gazette Journal of April 30. The main theme of the article was the newly created Basque Film Archive, a cooperative arrangement with the Filmoteca Vasca (Basque film archive) in San Sebastián, Spain. The Filmoteca sends two copies of all Basque films to the Basque Library, one for archiving and one for use. A database has been created to make information about the materials accessible online through the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries web site. The archive will make the films available to scholars for research or for educational uses, such as a Basque film class which will soon be offered online from UNR. Most of the films are available with subtitles or English dubbing, and in U.S. playback formats. |
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Donation to CBS Endowment Fund The Center for Basque Studies was honored to receive a donation of $25,000 from John and Cathy Echeverria for our endowment fund, which was established to assist with our research and publication activities. The Echeverrias had earlier donated funds to create an operational account for our Advisory Board. We deeply appreciate such generosity and faith in our mission of promoting awareness of Basque culture. Eskerrik asko! |
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CBS receives replica of Oñati Monument to Basque Sheepherder The Center recently received a small replica of the Euskal Artzaiari Monumentua / Monument to the Basque Sheepherder, a sculpture created by Nestor Basterrechea as a “sister monument” to the one located in Reno, Nevada. The Oñati piece is in the stylized form of a tree, representing the families of the descendants of sheepherders in the Americas. It stands over thirty feet high and is located near the Basque city of Oñati in Urrintxo. The corresponding work in the U.S. was dedicated in 1989, and depicts in modern style a herder in solitude guarding his flock. It is located at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in north Reno. We wish to thank the Commission created for the construction of the monument, led by Project Coordinator Nekane Oiarbide, for the gift of the sculpture replica and for their work on behalf of this project. |
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Bernard and Lucie Marie Bidart Fund established A donation of $25,000 was recently presented to the Center by Michael J. and Jeanette M. Bidart, establishing a fund in honor of his deceased parents, Bernard and Lucie Marie Bidart. Bernard Bidart was born in Ibarla, Baxenabarra, France and Lucie Marie Lassa was born in Chino, California. The funds will be designated to support the Center’s annual conference activities. We are very grateful for such thoughtful generosity — Eskerrik asko! |
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Gloria Totoricagüena assists with Diaspora exhibit, authors publication The Center’s newest faculty member, Gloria Totoricagüena, helped direct the 2001-2002 exhibit, “Basque Emigration to the Americas in the 19th and 20th Centuries” which was featured in Bilbao at the Basque Archaeological, Ethnographic and History Museum. The Museum issued a special publication, which she authored: “Una Aproximación al desarrollo de la Diáspora Vasca,” in Kanpoko Etxe Berria: Emigración Vasca a América Siglos XIX-XX (Bilbao: Museo Arqueológico, Etnográfico e Histórico Vasco. 2001). |
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Totoricagüena participates in conference Gloria Totoricagüena participated in the Diputación de Bizkaia Conference in Miami, Florida April 9–11. Her presentation focused on the importance of changing the international media image of the Basque Country and its future effects on tourism. She presented qualitative data from diaspora fieldwork in the United States. |
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Basque scholarships awarded to Nevada students The recently created Peter Echeverria Scholarship was awarded for the 2002-03 academic year to Mariesa Wetzel of Elko, Nevada. A top scholar and honor student, Mariesa has been very active in the Elko Basque Club with the dance group and festivals. She also gave presentations on Basque culture and foods at her school during Western Folklife Week. At the University of Nevada, Reno, she is studying for a business degree and hopes to work in the hotel/resort industry. The Peter Echeverria Scholarship was funded as a memorial to the prominent Nevada lawyer and political figure. It is awarded each year to a full-time student at the University of Nevada, Reno who is of Basque descent and maintains high scholarly standards. Interested students should check with their school’s scholarship coordinator or see our web site for further information. The Dolores Saval Trigero Scholarship has been awarded to Kelly Dugger of Winnemucca, Nevada. During her years at Lowry High School, she maintained a high scholarly record while also participating in many extracurricular and civic activities, including dancing in the Winnemucca Basque Club’s Irrintzi group. Kelly plans to study music at UNR, perhaps going into the field of education. The Dolores Saval Trigero Scholarship was created as a memorial by her family, and is awarded annually to a rural Nevada student of Basque descent who attends the University of Nevada, Reno on a full-time basis. A good scholarly record is also stressed. Interested students may check our web site for information or visit the scholarship coordinator at their Nevada school. |
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New faculty join Center for Basque Studies Sandra Ott has recently joined the CBS faculty. She has a degree from Oxford University in Social Anthropology, and her book The Circle of Mountains. A Basque Shepherding Community was reprinted in 1994 by the University of Nevada Press. Dr. Ott’s research interests include Basque society and culture, Basque oral history and memory, the Basque diaspora with special interest in Xiberoans, French history and culture, and Basque involvement during the resistance in World War II. She has taught courses in ethnology and social anthropology, and also has considerable experience as an administrator and fund-raiser, having served as Administrator of the Department for Continuing Education, Oxford University. Gloria Totoricagüena, a political scientist specializing in Basque diasporic studies, has also joined the Center faculty, having recently received a Ph.D. in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research interests include ethnonationalism and ethnic identity in the Basque diaspora, institutional relationships between Basque diaspora organizations and homeland institutions, and diaspora language maintenance. Dr. Totoricagüena spent several months interviewing Basque immigrants in several Latin American countries, Belgium, and Australia to learn about contemporary Basque ethnic identity in these areas. She will be teaching a new course, Basque Diaspora Studies, at UNR this fall. |
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NEW Basque classes offered for Fall 2002 at UNR The Center for Basque Studies is pleased to offer two new classes this coming fall. Two of our new faculty will be teaching these sections. Basque Cultural Studies (BASQ 220, also offered as ANTH 220 / FLL 220 / PSC 220) will be co-taught by Joseba Gabilondo and Joseba Zulaika. The course examines the representations of Basques worldwide in the media, the arts, scholarship, international politics, and the Internet. It serves as a presentation to the rest of the courses offered by the Center, and is also intended as a model to teach cultural studies in the context of ethnic minorities. Basque Diaspora Studies (BASQ 472/672, crosslisted as ANTH 472/672 and PSC 462/672), to be taught by Gloria Totoricagüena, compares ethnic identity maintenance in the Basque diaspora with special attention to the factors of migration, globalization, ethnonationalism, gender, generation, and Basque government relations. Dr. Totoricagüena spent several months interviewing Basque immigrants in several Latin American countries, Belgium, and Australia to learn about contemporary Basque ethnic identity in these areas. We will also continue to offer Basque language classes—Elementary (BASQ 101) and Second-Year (BASQ 203). |
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Joseba Gabilondo publishes article Center faculty member Joseba Gabilondo published an article, “Postmationalism, Fundamentalism, and the Global Real: Historicizing Terror/ism and the New North American/Global Ideology,” in the Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies 3.1 (2002), 57-86. |
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David Rio presents first book on Robert Laxalt Author David Río Raigadas presented his new book, Robert Laxalt: la voz de los Vascos en la literatura norteamericana (Robert Laxalt: the Voice of the Basques in North American Literature) at the University of Nevada, Reno on April 16. The work describes Laxalt’s life as a journalist, University Press director, and novelist, and includes a discussion and literary criticism of his work. Prof. Río teaches and conducts research on American literature at the University of the Basque Country (Vitoria), Dept. of English Philology. He has been a visiting scholar at the Center for Basque Studies on several occasions and a recipient of the CBS Summer Stipend. During his visits to Reno he met several times with Robert Laxalt. Laxalt, best known for his work Sweet Promised Land, was a very popular Western writer, particularly among the Basque community. Río’s book (written in Spanish) was published by the University of the Basque Country Press. For information on ordering the book, please contact the Editorial Universidad del País Vasco at luxedito@lg.ehu.es (price: 14.50 Euros). |
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CBS Conference brings together internationally renowned scholars An invitational conference on “Nationalism, Globalization, and Terror: A Debate on Stateless Nations, Particularism/ Universalism, and Radical Democracy,” which united thirteen scholars in a seminar-type format, concluded on April 9. During three full days of presentations and discussion, conferees debated such topics as the present status and future prospects of the Basque political conflict, the relationship between democracy and the multihomeland state, and the future of the left in the United States. Many of the participating scholars are renowned in the academic world for their contributions to the study of nationalism, political movements, globalization, and related studies. Participants and the titles of their talks were: Begoña Aretxaga (Univ. of Texas-Austin), “Out of Their Minds?: On Political Madness in the Basque Country.” John Beverley (U. of Pittsburgh), “Multiculturalism and Hegemony.” Walker Connor (Middlebury College), “Democracy and National Self-Determination: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” William Douglass (UNR) and Pedro Ibarra (Univ. del País Vasco), “A Basque Referendum: Resolution of Political Conflict or the Promised Land of Error?” Dennis Dworkin (UNR), “Intellectual Adventures in the Isles.” Joseba Gabilondo (UNR), “Global Hegemony and Independence Day: Rethinking Biopolitics, Radical Democracy, and Postnational Terror (Notes on Laclau/Mouffe and Hardt/Negri).” Chris Gray (Univ. of Great Falls), “Nationalism and the Second Cold War” Ernesto Laclau (Univ. of Essex), “Populism: What’s in a Name?” Robert Paine (Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland), “Saami: Need of, Abuse of or Deliverance from an Identity Imperative.” Alfonso Perez-Agote (Univ. Complutense), “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Unresolved Grief. Basque Political Violence in the XXI Century” Xabier Rubert de Ventós (Autonomous Univ. of Barcelona), “The Art of Forgetting.” Joseba Zulaika (UNR), “Nourishment by the Negative: Subalternity, Antagonism, and Hegemony.” A public lecture series was also scheduled during the week of the conference (see story below). The conference was organized by Begoña Aretxaga, Joseba Gabilondo, and Joseba Zulaika and hosted by the Center for Basque Studies. The conference papers will soon be published by the Center. |
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Special lecture series: Politics After 9/11 Four of our April conference participants were asked to present public lectures under the general topic of “Politics after 9/11.” John Beverley spoke April 8th on “After Communism: Multiculturalism and the Future of the Left.” A Golden Age scholar and Latin Americanist at the University of Pittsburgh, he is known for his work Subalternity and Representation: Arguments in Cultural Theory (Duke University Press, 1999). On April 9, Ernesto Laclau, a political philosopher from the University of Essex and a leading figure of what has come to be known as post-Marxism, discussed “Political Identities in a Postmodern World.” He co-authored (with Chantal Mouffe) the seminal work Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics, which has revolutionized the Marxist world over the last fifteen years. On April 10, Xavier Rubert de Ventós, Professor of Aesthetics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Architecture Department, presented “Faith Moves Towers” in which he discussed the current world conflicts in relation to human behavior and how we must change to avoid global destruction. A former member of the Spanish Parliament and of the European Parliament, his publications on politics include El Laberinto de la hispanidad (Planeta, 1987) and Nacionalismos: El laberinto de la identidad (Espasa Calpe, 1994). Walker Connor, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Political Science, Middlebury College, Vermont, will speak on April 11 ( 3:00 pm, University Inn, Watts Room) on “Nation and Religion: Competitors or Reinforcers?” Dr. Connor has published over fifty articles and five books dealing with the comparative study of nationalism, including Ethnonationalism: The Quest for Understanding (Princeton, 1993) and The National Question in Marxist-Leninist Theory and Strategy (Princeton, 1984). For more details about the speakers, click here, or for other information phone the center at 775.784.4854. |
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Basque Studies Library featured in Friends publication The Basque Studies Library and librarian Marcelino Ugalde are featured in the Friends newsletter, a publication of the Friends of the University of Nevada, Reno Library, for Spring 2002. In the issue’s lead article, the recently established Basque film repository was headlined. For the repository, copies of all Basque films will be archived and made available (in U.S. video or DVD format) for educational purposes. Many of the major films have English subtitles or dubbing. Author Sandra Macias mentioned the Center’s forthcoming online Basque film course, which will feature films from the collection, as well as plans for a Basque film festival. In a sidebar, some of the more unique and rare items in the Basque Library are featured: tree trunks carved by Basque sheepherders in the nearby Sierra; family archives; hand-bound and decorated books from the 19th century; and a scrapbook made by the children of Navarra to thank the people of New York for post-war aid. |
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Idaho Legislature passes memorial resolution calling for peace process The Idaho State Legislature agreed to present a resolution to the U.S. President and Congress, and to the governments of Spain and France, calling for the immediate cessation of all violence occurring in and near the Basque Country, and requesting that a peace process be undertaken. The document, presented by State Representative David Bieter and Idaho’s Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa, who is a member of the Center for Basque Studies’ Advisory Board, further supports the right of the Basques to self-determination. Idaho was a main destination during the early twentieth century for Basque immigrants, many of whom found work there as sheepherders. The memorial addresses this fact, and notes that “…the state of Idaho has long since been known as the North American center of the Basque population and many citizens of the state have kept close ties to the homeland of their forefathers.”. |
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CBS to present “Ikasi” program in conjunction with NABO Music Camp The Center for Basque Studies offers an opportunity for adults to learn about Basque culture this summer. The program, called Ikasi (“to learn”) will be held June 26-28, 2002, and is presented in conjunction with North American Basque Organizations, Inc. (NABO). The classes will take place on the University of Nevada, Reno campus and will include sessions on the Basque language, history, mythology, music, films, genealogy, and the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. For this pilot program, fees have been waived. Further information and registration forms are located on the NABO Web site. [NOTE: As of May 10, this year’s program is filled.] This brief course on Basque culture was originally conceived as an opportunity for adult relatives of children who attend the annual Basque Music Camp, known as Udaleku, to also learn about their Basque heritage. The Udaleku program is conducted in varying locations each summer, and this year will be in Reno, Nevada. |
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Conference on Nationalism, Globalization, and Terror planned for April 2002 The Center will host a small invitational conference on “Nationalism, Globalization, and Terror: A Debate on Stateless Nations, Particularism/Universalism, and Radical Democracy,” to be held on the University of Nevada, Reno campus April 7–9. Conference organizers Begoña Aretxaga, Joseba Gabilondo, and Joseba Zulaika have invited several speakers to participate in the conference/seminar, which will discuss such questions as: What are the hegemonic strategies of nation-states now that there is no longer a “proper” state in Europe? Under what theoretical and political grounds can stateless nations claim rights to “sovereignty,” and how can this concept be (re)framed in the era of globalization? What kinds of relations are established between the law of the state and the state of “terrorist” law? Presenters include Begoña Aretxaga (Univ. of Texas-Austin), John Beverley (U. of Pittsburgh), Walker Connor, William Douglass (UNR), Dennis Dworkin (UNR), Joseba Gabilondo (UNR), Pedro Ibarra (Univ. del País Vasco), Ernesto Laclau (Univ. of Essex), Robert Paine (Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland), Alfonso Perez-Agote (Univ. Complutense), Xabier Rubert de Ventós (Autonomous Univ. of Barcelona), and Joseba Zulaika (UNR). Slavoj Zizek (Ljubljana Univ.) may contribute via teleconference. Public lectures by several of the presenters will be scheduled for the period April 8-11. The Center plans to eventually publish the conference papers to make them available to the public. |
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Spring NABO meeting held in Salt Lake City Kate Camino represented the CBS at the spring NABO meeting in Salt Lake City on March 2. Chairs of various NABO committees (pelota, mus, language and the summer kids’ camp Udaleku) made presentations, and information was also provided by HABE regarding a new interactive language program that will be available to the U.S. clubs. Kate presented the Center’s plans for the new Ikasi program, which is organized somewhat like our previous Elderhostel programs, to provide information on Basque culture to adults of Basque heritage and others interested in the topic. |
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New publication on the Basque children in exile Adrian Bell has written a new book on a group of Basque children who were evacuated to safety in England in 1937 after the bombing of Gernika and siege of Bilbao. Only for Three Months: The Basque Children in Exile (Mousehold Press (UK), 2002) explores whether exile cut these children off from their Basque cultural roots and whether the evacuation was an appropriate response to the dangers of war, considering that they ended up being away from their families for years. In compiling his book, the author interviewed many of the former exiles, some of whom settled permanently in Britain. A reviewer comments that, “There are surprising depths to this study of the evacuation and what happened to the children afterwards.” An hour-long interview with Bell about the book will be presented by the BBC on March 30, 8 pm UK time. |
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Zulaika’s writings on William Blake appear in Egunkaria A recent article on the finding of several “lost” paintings by English poet and artist William Blake included an essay on Blake by Joseba Zulaika. The article and essay appeared in the Basque-language daily Egunkaria’s online version. The 19 watercolors, painted to illustrate Robert Blair’s poem The Grave, had been in the hands of an anonymous collector until recently. Zulaika has long been an admirer of the poet, and remembered Blake’s work as a strong influence on him during his days in London, particularly the anthology Songs of Innocence. |
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Basque dance webs get recognition from Euskalerria Two Basque dance web sites created by Basque Studies Ph.D. student Lisa Corcostegui were recognized by the dantzan.com site from the Basque Country. The Basque-language site, operated by the Kezka Dantzari Taldea (Kezka dance ensemble) of Elgoibar, noted Lisa’s Dantzaldizkaria and CyberDantza sites. The CyberDantza site includes a section of field notes from Lisa’s research in the Basque region last summer. photo: L. Corcostegui |
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Basque-Americans in WWII Do you have any information on Basque-Americans who served in World War II? One of our Basque Studies Ph.D. students, Pedro Oiarzabal, is researching this topic and would like to hear from any of our readers who can help him. You may e-mail him directly, or if you prefer to write, please send information to Mr. Oiarzabal c/o Center for Basque Studies / 322, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557. Eskerrik asko for any help you can provide. |
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