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News Archive - Fall 2002 CBS celebrates Camino-Villanueva wedding We congratulate CBS office manager Kate Camino and her new husband Manuel Villanueva on their marriage, which took place Nov. 26 in Reno. The ceremony incorporated many Basque elements, including a song on txistu and tun-tun (Basque flute and drum), and performance of a traditional Basque dance. Many of the bride’s family members from Euskadi were in attendance, and her uncle Father Joseph Camino along with Father Marcel Tillous assisted in the ceremony. Zorionak, Kate and Manu! We have posted some Basque verses composed by the bride’s uncle, Father Joseph Camino, on the occasion of the wedding. |
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 (from left) Jon Barrutia and Anjeles Iztueta, Vice Minister and Minister of Education for the Basque Government; the Lehendakari; Mari Carmen Gallastegui, Prof. of Economics and former Vice Chancellor, UPV; Prof. Anthony Nicholls, former Director of the European Centre at St Antony’s College, Oxford, and Sandra Ott at reception in Oxford. Sandra Ott participates in events at Oxford Sandra Ott recently traveled to England in November to participate in a series of events at the University of Oxford marking the renewal of the agreement between the Basque Government (through Eusko Ikaskuntza) and the University that enables a Basque scholar to spend two terms or the full academic year as the Visiting Basque Fellow at St. Antony’s College, Oxford. The Lehendakari, President of the Basque Country, Jose Ibarretxe, was the guest of honor; the Warden of St. Antony’s, Sir Marrack Goulding, presided and delivered a lecture attended by some 100 members of Oxford University. As the coordinator of the Visiting Basque Fellowship scheme at Oxford and as a new faculty member at the Center for Basque Studies–UNR, Dr. Ott will also be promoting academic links between Oxford, Eusko Ikaskuntza, and CBS. |
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History of Basque church in Idaho published Gloria Totoricagüena’s research regarding maintenance of religious identity among diaspora Basques in Idaho has been published in Euskonews and Media issue #190. Though many Basques felt liberated from the Catholic church and did not continue their religious practices once having emigrated from Euskal Herria, others in Boise, Idaho worked to fund and construct the only specifically Basque church in the history of the United States. This article, “Church of the Good Shepherd, Boise, Idaho. USA,” chronicles the development of the unique ethnic parish. |
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Minoo Moallem lectures on “Gender & Fundamentalism after 9/11” Minoo Moallem lectured on “Modernist Tropes, Postmodern Encounters: Gender and Fundamentalism after 9/11,” at the University of Nevada, Reno on November 21. Dr. Minoo Moallem is an associate professor and chair of the Women Studies Department at San Francisco State University. She is co-editor (with Caren Kaplan and Norma Alarcon) of the groundbreaking book entitled Between Woman and Nation: Nationalisms, Transnational Feminisms and the State (Duke University Press, 1999). She is currently working on a book entitled Between Warrior Brother and Veiled Sister: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Cultural Politics of Patriarchy (forthcoming from University of California Press). Articles published include “Universalization of Particulars: The Civic Body and Gendered Citizenship in Iran,” Citizenship Studies Vol.3, no. 3, fall 1999, and “Beyond the Public and Private Dichotomy: The Experience of Iranian Immigrant Women in Montréal,” in Nimeye Digar no. 14, spring 1991, Cambridge. Trained as a sociologist, Moallem writes on feminist theory, gender and fundamentalism, globalization, diaspora, and Iranian cultural politics. Dr. Moallem’s talk dealt in part with the question of representation—what kinds of representation get circulated? In the West, we usually represent all Muslims as fundamentalists. She gave examples from the media of the staging of Afghani women as victims of an oppressive society, in need of protection and liberation. She also brought up the questions, Who has the power to represent who? What are the major myths played out by different forms of representation?, stating that these representations were used as justification for the bombardment of Afghanistan. Dr. Moallem has lived and studied in Iran, France, Canada, and the United States. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Montreal and completed postdoctoral studies at the University of California Berkeley, Sociology Department and the Beatrice Bain Research Group (Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality). Her major areas of research interest include gender, sexuality, class, race, and ethnic relations; transnational migrations; women and globalization; religion and cultural studies; Middle Eastern Studies. This is the third lecture in the Politics after 9/11 – Part 2 series presented by the Center for Basque Studies, History Department, and Women’s Studies Program at UNR, with support provided by the Hilliard Committee. The remaining lecture in the series will feature Joseph Massad on December 5 speaking on “Racism, Nationalism, and Settler-Colonialism: the Persistence of the Palestinian Question.” |
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Basque Literature Series initiated Prof. Marijose Olaziregi of the Department of Philology, University of the Basque Country (Vitoria) is visiting the CBS for two weeks in November to meet with colleagues here regarding the forthcoming Basque Literature Series. The series will consist of various works of contemporary Basque literature—one or two books each year—that will be translated into English. According to Dr. Olaziregi, “A very important aspect of the work is that the translations will be done directly from the Basque into English.” Most English translations done to date are taken from a Spanish translation of the original Basque text. Dr. Linda White, a Basque literature specialist with the Center, will serve as a series editor along with Dr. Olaziregi. The team will coordinate all aspects of the extensive project, which has received funding from a Basque Government grant (see related story). The first book to be published will be an anthology of short stories by several authors. Dr. Olaziregi recently received tenure, or the title of Profesora Titular de la Universidad, from her department after undergoing rigorous review and presenting a research project on Basque literature of the past thirty years, and teaching methodology for these works. |
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Basque Government signs collaboration agreement with CBS An agreement of collaboration has been signed by the General Administration of the Basque Autonomous Community—including the General Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of the Presidency of the Government; the Department of Education, Universities, and Research; and the Department of Culture—and the Center for Basque Studies of the University of Nevada, Reno. The object of the Agreement, which will provide economic assistance to the Center in the amount of $95,000 annually, is to promote the knowledge of Basque heritage and culture, and to promote closer ties between the Basque people and other cultures. To this end, the Agreement will fund four distinct areas: – The digitalization and cataloging of bibliographic sources referring to Basque topics that are housed in the Basque Studies Library of the University of Nevada, Reno. – The development of a program of online courses, in English, whose contents represent the results of research carried out on the Basques in the various branches of the human sciences. – The organization of conferences, classes, and seminars relating to Basque culture. – The production of various publications: a Basque Classics Series, a Basque Literature Series, and other occasional publications. The Center for Basque Studies is extremely grateful to receive this generous support from the Basque Government. |
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Totoricagüena gives Women’s Studies presentation On November 20, Dr. Gloria Totoricagüena gave a presentation on “Interconnected Disconnectedness: the Immigration Experience of Basque Women,” as part of a series of lectures sponsored by the Women’s Studies Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. The lecture, accompanied by slides of Basque women and families, was based on her interviews of several hundred Basque immigrants in six host countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay. |
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Center hosts N.A.B.O. meeting in Reno The annual fall meeting of the North American Basque Organizations, Inc. was held at UNR on November 16, hosted by the Center for Basque Studies. The Center joined the organization as a way to collaborate more closely with Basque clubs and institutes in promoting Basque cultural awareness. CBS delegates Kate Camino and Gloria Totoricagüena served as the conference organizers. Over sixty N.A.B.O. representatives—delegates from each member organization, along with the group’s officers—met to discuss their agenda for the next several months. One important event discussed was the 2003 World Congress of Basque Collectivities, which will be combined with Gaztemundu, a program for Basque youth to visit the Basque homeland. These programs are organized by the Basque Government and held in the Basque region. The 2003 agenda proposes to collectively work out strategies to better integrate youth for the future of our Basque organizations. |
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Visiting scholar speaks on Hemingway and Basques The Center for Basque Studies presented a talk by Edorta Jiménez on “Ernest Hemingway y algunos vascos: Bilbao, Cuba, Idaho” on October 17 at UNR. Visiting scholar Edorta Jiménez is at the Center for the fall semester as the recipient of a CBS travel stipend. He is a writer who has authored several literary works in Basque, some of which have been translated into Spanish. While at the Center, he is researching a book on Hemingway and his Basque friends in the American West, particularly Idaho. The book will also discuss Hemingway’s connection with Basques in Euskadi and in Havana. |
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Linda White presents paper on Mariasun Landa Linda White attended the 56th annual RMMLA (Rocky Mountain Modern Literature Association) Conference October 11-13 in Scottsdale, Arizona where she coordinated the session on “Asociación de Literatura Femenina, Letras Femeninas.” Her paper, “Novelist in Disguise: Mariasun Landa’s Grown-up Books for Basque Children,” discussed the work of the Basque writer, stating that: “…Landa creates lyrical worlds filled with children facing grown-up dilemmas. Although her books are marketed for children, her novelist’s heart is evident in both her style and subject matter.” Former UNR student Lourdes Gabikagojeaskoa, now a doctoral student at the University of Arizona, presented during the same session and spoke on the role of women in the works of Juan Marsé. |
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Dance instructors participate in Gaztemundu 2002 CBS’ Kate Camino and Lisa Corcostegui were two of the nine Americans representing seven Basque dance groups who were chosen to participate in Gaztemundu 2002 (Sept. 6-21), a special session focusing entirely on Basque dance. The Gaztemundu program, sponsored by the Office of Relations with Basque Collectivities in the department of Foreign Actions (Foreign Affairs) of the Basque Government, has been held for several years as a way to bring young people from the Basque diaspora to Euskadi to experience their ancestral homeland. Since dance is one of the major vehicles by which many Basque youth in the diaspora express their ethnic identity, the goal of this year’s program was to promote contact among dance groups from various countries, provide dance instruction, and inform participants of resources available on Basque dance. The 38 participants included 24 from Argentina, 9 from the U.S., 2 from Uruguay, and 1 each from Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela. Participation was extended to directors of dance groups in the individual Basque clubs. Kate Camino, office manager of the Center, represented Reno’s Zazpiak Bat Basque Club dancers, and Basque Studies Ph.D. student Lisa Corcostegui, of the Zenbat Gara dance troupe, was invited as a dance specialist and researcher. During the fifteen-day program, participants met with dance masters from the various Basque regions and were able to attend dance practices of several troupes. The trip included visits to the headquarters of Bizkaia’s Euskal Dantzarien Biltzarra, Arteleku in Loiola, the headquarters of Nafarroa’s Euskal Dantzarien Biltzarra, and the Herri Musikaren Txokoa in Oiartzun. A highlight of the program was meeting with the Lehendakari (Basque president) Juan Jose Ibarretxe and other Basque government officials. For Kate’s full report, click here. |
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Basque Oral History Project featured in El País The Spanish newspaper El País featured an article on the Basque Oral History Project being carried out by the Center for Basque Studies in Reno and by the Basque Museum and Cultural Center of Boise, Idaho. Dr. Gloria Totoricagüena of the Center was interviewed by journalists during her recent trip to Euskadi, and stated that “At the Center for Basque Studies, we have some 200 interviews with first-generation Basques. In Boise, we have around 400; in San Francisco, about 50, and in other communities we are just starting. We continue with the task of interviewing the immigrants first, and then will follow with the first generation born in the U.S.” She explained that the project will help demonstrate “the maintenance of Basque identity, and how a new Basque-American identity was developed.” The article also appeared in the journal’s online version, CiberPaís, and on EITB’s “Euskadi Munduan” site. The Basque oral histories may be heard online on the CBS site and the Basque Museum site. |
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Lecture presented at New York University The weekend of October 5, Dr. Joseba Gabilondo gave a lecture entitled “Performing the Gaze: A Queer Theory of Globalization and Terrorism (from Lord of the Rings to Torrente and Back to Hegel).” Dr. Gabilondo was invited to speak at a program organized by the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at New York University, NY. |
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Center receives donation to Endowment Fund The Center for Basque Studies received a recent donation of $25,000 from Peter and Freda Cenarrusa for our endowment fund. This fund was established to provide support for our research and publication activities. We are honored by and deeply appreciative of the Cenarrusas’ generosity and faith in our mission to promote awareness of Basque culture. Eskerrik asko! |
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Joseba Gabilondo presents invited paper In October, Joseba Gabilondo attended the Mid-American Conference on Hispanic Literatures at Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri. He presented a paper on “Savater and State Melancholia: On Spanish History and Its Ghostly State in Globalization,” as one of the four invited guests at the Plenary Roundtable: “El neo-nacionalismo español y sus intelectuales: estado, nación, globalización.” |
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Visiting scholar presents lecture Visiting scholar Gaizka Larrañaga, a doctoral candidate in the Philosophy Department at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, presented a talk on October 3 at UNR. Larrañaga discussed his research on melancholy and nostalgia, drawing on examples from various works of literature. The talk was entitled “Sobre melancolía y nostalgia: contar la vida y vivir la tradición.” |
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Joxe Mallea leads Basque aspen carving hikes Basque researcher Joxe Mallea, who has recorded thousands of tree carvings made by Basque sheepherders in the nearby Sierra, is offering field trips this fall to view these arborglyphs. Through the Community Services Division of Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, three sessions of Basque Aspen Carving Hikes will be held. The public is invited to “hike the splendor of the high Sierra and discover the Picassoesque art, which for 100 years the Basque sheepherders have been carving on aspen trees.” On September 28, Session I will explore Kanpo Handia (South Camp) in the Genoa Peak area, a center of sheep activities overlooking beautiful Lake Tahoe. Session II, on October 12, will take hikers north of Truckee, CA. to the Tahoe National Forest for an easy four-mile walk. Session III hikers will take on Peavine Mountain, where they can explore some of the 500 carvings that have been catalogued there. Sessions cost $29 each. For further information and registration, contact TMCC Community Services at 775.829.9010 or view the web site at http://commserv.tmcc.edu. |
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Director Zulaika addresses conference in Portugal From September 19-21, Joseba Zulaika attended a conference in Evora, Portugal on “Rhetorics Without Frontiers.” The title of his presentation was “Todos somos americanos: Bienvenidos al terrorismo global.” |
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Sandra Ott speaks to students about research New Basque faculty member Dr. Sandra Ott presented a talk to students on “War and Memory,” discussing her research in the French Basque region on Basques in World War II. The talk took place on October 9 in the Student Union Building, part of a series presented by Flipside Productions of the Associated Students at UNR. |
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Joseba Gabilondo presents paper at Tucson conference Dr. Joseba Gabilondo of the CBS faculty presented a paper on “Theme-Park Spain or A Biopolitical History of Post/Modern Spain (1814–1992): Gaze, Desire, Imperial Difference and the Atlantic Other.” The paper was given as part of a panel on Nations, Borders and Identities; Tourism, History and the Hispanic Imagination, at a conference on “Hispanic Cultural Studies: The State of the Art.” The September conference was organized by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. |
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Basque Oral History Project highlighted in news article The Basque Oral History Project being carried out by both the Center for Basque Studies at UNR and the Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise, Idaho was featured in a recent article by AP reporter Dan Gallagher. The article, which appeared in many newspapers throughout the western U.S., includes information provided by Reno’s project coordinator Gloria Totoricagüena. The project’s two web sites chronicle Basque immigrants’ lives, and feature the faces and voices of many of these early settlers. |
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Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Idaho The annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival takes place October 11-13 this year in Ketchum and Hailey, Idaho. The festival features sheep dog competitions, historical exhibits, workshops, Basque dancers and musicians, and on Sunday the trailing of the sheep down Ketchum’s Main Street as they return to their winter range. There will also be a guided hike to view sheepherders’ tree carvings in nearby aspen groves. |
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Basque lecture: “Los usos de la política” Iñaki Martínez de Albeniz of the Dept. of Sociology, University of the Basque Country (Bilbao), presented a lecture on “Los usos de la política: la promesa de l@s idiotas” on September 26 at Getchell Library, UNR. |
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Slavoj Zizek lectures at UNR: “Happiness after 9-11” On September 16, Slavoj Zizek presented the first lecture in our fall series, Politics after 9/11, Part 2 – a series of four lectures. One of the key intellectuals of Europe, Zizek is a senior researcher, Institute of Sociology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and has been a visiting professor at several American universities, including Columbia, Princeton, New School for Social Research–New York, and University of Michigan. Currently he is also a professor of philosophy and psychoanalysis at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he conducts an intensive Summer Seminar. With humor and examples from popular culture interlaced throughout his lecture, Zizek discussed changes in our perceptions of truth and reality after 9-11, and the role of intellectuals in this changed society. The audience enjoyed his description of what he felt are the requirements for happiness, based on his experience living in Eastern Europe: material needs must be fulfilled, but not completely, so that people feel gratitude for what they do have; there must be a higher authority, such as government, to blame things on; and there must be another place to dream about, where life is perceived as being better. Many of his anecdotes used Hollywood films and television programs as illustrative devices. Zizek holds Ph.D. degrees in Philosophy (Ljubljana) and in Psychoanalysis (University of Paris). A cultural critic and philosopher who is internationally known for linking key psychoanalytical and philosophical concepts to social phenomena such as pop culture and political fantasies, Zizek effects a Lacanian and Hegelian reading with emphasis on the metastases of enjoyment and imagination. His publications include The Sublime Object of Ideology (Verso, 1989); Looking Awry: Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture (MIT Press, 1991); The Indivisible Remainder (Verso, 1996); The Metastases of Enjoyment (Verso, 1996); The Plague of Fantasies (Verso, 1997); The Ticklish Subject (Verso, 1999). Zizek, Judith Butler, and Ernesto Laclau recently engaged in a passionate dialogue on central questions of contemporary philosophy and politics which resulted in their book Contingency, Hegemony, Universality. The topics discussed range over the theoretical dilemmas of multiculturalism, the universalism-versus-particularism debate, the strategies of the left in a globalized economy, and the relative merits of the Hegelian legacy, post-structuralism and Lacanian psychoanalysis for a critical social theory. Prof. Zizek’s visit was sponsored by the Center for Basque Studies and the Hilliard Committee, University of Nevada, Reno. For more information on the series, phone 775.784.4854. |
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 Director Zulaika interviewed on Basque radio Joseba Zulaika was interviewed by Euskadi Irratia on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The interview was broadcast live throughout the Basque region on their morning program, “Goizean Behin.” |
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Basque Lecture Series continues 
Jenaro GuisasolaThe Center for Basque Studies presented two more lectures from our visiting scholars: On Tuesday, September 10 Prof. Jenaro Guisasola from the Physics Dept. of the University of the Basque Country spoke on “La compleja tarea de enseñar ciencias.” He specializes in the teaching of physics, and while at UNR is networking with professors in both the Physics and Education faculties. Thurs., September 12 Iker Etxano, a doctoral student from the Dept. of Applied Economics, University of the Basque Country, gave a presentation on “Desarrollo rural sostenible en la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca (CAV).” Both scholars are visiting Reno at the invitation of USAC. The Basque Lectures are always open to any interested persons. |
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