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Highlights In June Jon Bilbao returned to the Basque Country where he assisted the Vitoria campus of the Basque University with an intensive Basque language summer session for foreign students. Gorka Aulestia is currently teaching beginning Basque, as well as an advanced language class on the structure of the Basque verb. Mr. Aulestia also gave a lecture on Basque culture to a multicultural education class at UNR. On April 18 the Friends of the University Library held a reception to honor Robert Laxalt as Nevada’s major living literary figure. William A. Douglass was asked to speak about Robert’s career and contribution. Jill Berner and Linda White participated in the University of Nevada Reno’s Cultural Awareness Day (April 30, 1982) by preparing an exhibit on Basque culture. On April 19, 1982 Gustav Henningsen of the Danish Folk Archives of Copenhagen gave a lecture at UNR entitled “Anatomy of a Witch-Craze: The Basques and the Spanish Inquisition.” Dr. Henningsen, author of the work The Witches’ Advocate published by the University of Nevada Press, was on a lecture tour in the United States. He also lectured at the University of California, Berkeley meeting of the Society for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies and at the Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. The cover story of the first issue of UNR Frontiers featured the history and activities of the Basque Studies Program. The UNR Frontiers is published quarterly by the Office of the Graduate School in order to inform the public about scholarly achievement at the University of Nevada Reno. The cover story of the August-September Modern Maturity magazine was entitled “The Basque Who Won the West” by Suzanne Larronde. Featured is the life of Beltran Paris, an eastern Nevada sheepman. The article included information about the Basque Studies Program and resulted in over one thousand inquiries for information on Basque topics. Joan Groth recently joined our staff to assist with the clerical duties. August 2-6, 1982 Boise State University sponsored a Basque History and Culture Workshop organized by Pat Bieter. William A. Douglass opened the workshop with lectures regarding Old World Basque Culture and Basque Emigration. Miren Artiach Rementeria discussed the language. Other lecturers included Pat Bieter on Basque history, Albert Erquiaga on dance and music, Nicasio Beristain and Ramón Zugazaga on cuisine, Justo Sarría on politics and Joe Eiguren on Old World history and the New World Basque experience. The workshop was well received and attended. Academic visitors included Dorothy Legarreta who is preparing a book on the Basque refugee children in the Spanish Civil War, James Jacob who is writing a work on French Basque Nationalism, Gloria Castresana Waid, President of the Society of Basque Studies in America, José Luis Alvarez Enparantza, professor of linguistics at the EUTG of San Sebastián and recently visiting scholar at UCLA, Carol Hovey who is preparing a book about Pedro Altube and his descendants, and Gunther Brettschneider of the University of Cologne. David Beesley and Michael Claytor of Sierra College presented a paper entitled “A Comparative Study of Basque Tree Carvings in the Sierra, Warner and Ruby Mountains” at the 18th Great Basin Anthropological Conference held in Reno. The University Foundation of the University of Nevada Reno, donated $5,000 to the Basque-English dictionary project. The John Archabal family recently donated several early twentieth century photographs to our collection. The photos detail Basque activities in the Jordan Valley, Oregon area. Angeles Arrien, Basque folklorist and anthropologist, participated in a Storytelling Festival held September 24-25 at the Center for Religion and Life of the University of Nevada Reno. She opened the program with Basque stories and legends. Gorka Aulestia attended the First International Basque Conference in North America held in August at California State University of Fresno and sponsored by the Society of Basque Studies in America. Mr. Aulestia presented a paper entitled “A Basque-English Dictionary Made in USA.” Joseba Zulaika recently received his doctorate in anthropology from Princeton University. In October he joined the staff of the Basque Studies Program on a one year post-doctoral appointment. In the spring semester he will offer a course on Old World Basque Culture through the Anthropology department of the University of Nevada Reno. Jon Bilbao plans to teach a course on Basque History during the spring semester through the History Department of the University of Nevada Reno. Gorka Aulestia published the following articles and reviews: in World Literature Today reviews of Bertsotan, 1789-1936 by J. Dorronsoro (Vol. 56); Oinak by X. Amuriza (Vol. 56); Iparraldeko Euskal Idazleak by K. Etxenagusia, ed. (Vol. 56); Euskal linguistika eta literatura: Bide Berriak (Vol. 56). He also published four articles: “Poetry and Politics: Basque Poetry as an Instrument of National Revival (Part II),” in World Literature Today, Vol. 56, No. 3, 1982; “Bernat Dechepare, Medieval or Renaissance Writer?” in Basque Artistic Expression, (Society of Basque Studies in America), Vol. 2, No. 1, 1981; “Survey of French Basque Literature in the 20th Century,” in Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century, Vol. 2: E-K, 1982; “The First Basque Dictionary,” in Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America, No. 2-3, 1980-1981. Mrs. Marge Stevenson completed her M.A. thesis entitled “Food Habits of Northern Nevada Basques” for the Department of Home Economics of the University of Nevada Reno. She wishes to thank those Nevada Basques who answered her questions while she was conducting her research. |
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