Ikasi/Irakatsi: Basque Cultural Literacy Project

For a culture to survive it must be transmitted from generation to generation. If effective means of doing this are not found, then a culture dissipates and soon disappears. The Ikasi (to learn) - Irakatsi (to teach) Basque Cultural Literacy Project is aimed at developing and implementing some effective methods to sustain "Basqueness:" Basque culture and identity.

"You cannot give what you do not have." Many of us want to give to younger generations a sense of Basqueness (Basque culture & identity) because we want to share what we have and what we have appreciated. The problem--and don't take this personal--is that many of us don't have much depth or breadth of knowledge about Basqueness. This is the proposed definition of the problem and solution: we have to learn (ikasi) more to be able to teach (irakatsi) more. If we commit ourselves to this Basque Cultural Literacy Project, we stand a better chance of seeing Basqueness not only endure but flourish. What do you think? Is this worthwhile for NABO to pursue in relation to our motto of
Recreate + Educate = Perpetuate ?

One of the challenges that confronts those who wish to see Basqueness endure is the fact of the matter that most have only a limited understanding of Basque culture and identity. There are various reasons for this, including the fact that for many immigrant Basques, their initial understanding of the Basque Country was generally limited to only an area of about twenty miles from their birthplace. This was just the way life was at that time. Meanwhile while today its much easier to travel greater distances and to see many parts of the Basque Country, oftentimes on the tour-package plan the knowledge we get still remains limited.

There are already various resources available and some of these are excellent. What is being initially proposed, however, is a three-part introductory book that would serve to provide greater breadth with of course references for the reader to pursue greater depth and online links.
Book Proposal:

Title proposals: "Euskaldunak: The Basques" (to plain? non-descriptive?) or
"What Every Basque needs to know about Basque Culture but Doesn't" (catchy? excessive?) or "A Basques Primer" or "Basqueness: Basque culture & Identity" or . . .?
Format: Selections on various aspects of Basque culture (e.g., sport, legends, literature, etc.) will be kept brief (perhaps a page or two) and elaborated with images and artwork.
Authors: It would be a joint effort calling on volunteers to contribute portions that NABO would coordinate

Content: divided into three parts to embrace the experiences of Basques here and there, yesterday and today as symbolized by these images:
- Traditional Basque Culture

caserio

- Basque-American Experience

carreta

- Basques in the World Today

guggenheim

This material has been covered (for example in these texts above) but the objective is to create a hybrid publication that would hopefully be inexpensive, illustrated, illuminating and inspiring.

So what do you think? Is this where NABO should go? Send your comments to info@nabasque.org

More info

NABO´s home page.

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Ideia ona da

Sent by Blas Uberuaga at 2008-03-18 01:27

I like this idea. I do think that most Basque-Americans do not have much of a feel or knowledge about the modern Basque Country. It seems that most of our ideas are based upon the Basque Country of our parents and grandparents, and is focused on really just a few small aspects of the Basque culture, such as dancing, food and mus. I think that especially an effort that educates us that the Basque Country is a modern, vibrant, thriving place, with expressions of culture in modern rock/punk music, art, literature, cinema, etc, would really be great. To show that EH is a place not only of old traditions, but new ones as well.

http://www.euskosare.org/kultura/ikasi_irakatsi_basque_cultural_project/eks_newsitem_view