3. ALEA: BOISE
BOISE BASQUES: DREAMERS AND DOERS

Gloria Totoricagüena Egurrola

Table of Contents

Aurkezpena / Presentation

Hitzaurrea / Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter One: Formation of the Basque Community
Euskal Herria: The Basque Country
Centuries of Basque emigration
The second wave
Choosing Idaho
The journey
Discrimination: Was it positive? Negative? Both?
Counting Basques: Political and economic transitions influence an end to migration

Chapter two: Basque Hotels and Boarding Houses
A need for a home
“Home away from home”
Entertaining Basques
Daily life in the Basque hotels and boarding houses
End of an era

Chapter three: Economic Opportunities for Basque Immigrants
Sheep outfits and sheepherding
Transhumance or itinerant sheep raising
The Basques of Barber mill town
Employment opportunities

Chapter four: Basque Catholicism in Boise
Church of the Good Shepherd
Basque priests influence the Boise community
The Basque Chapel of the Children of God

Chapter five: Andrak: Women
American Basque Fraternity Auxiliary
The Basque Girls´ Club
Aiztan Artean

Chapter six: Euskera Maintenance
Generations of euskera
A generation gap
“Learning a language from a book is never the same as learning from your mother”
Studies abroad
Recent activities to preserve euskera
Boise Ikastola
Perpetual optimists
Ni ikaslea naiz
Ekintzak

Chapter seven: Basque Dancing and the Boise´ko Gazteak
Juanita Uberuaga Hormaechea and our first dancers
Today´s Boise´ko Gazteak

Chapter eight: Basque Musicians, Choirs, and Ensembles
Legacies to a people and a culture
Abeslariak: Singers
Biotzetik Basque Choir
Recognizing Basque Music
Basque Music Ensembles

Chapter nine: Oinkari: “One who does with feet”, or Dancer
Establishing a dance group
Basque dancing takes a leap forward
Oinkaris celebrate twenty-five years of dancing and singing
Rejuvenating and maintaining a successful group
The latest generation of Oinkaris

Chapter ten: The Idaho Basque Studies Center
The Idaho Basque Studies Center and the Idaho´ko Euzko Zaleak
The 1972 Holiday Basque Festival
“I have always wanted to go to Euskal Herria”
The First Basque Music Camp in the United States
Creating communications between Basques: The North American Basque Organizations
Educating Basques and the general public
Concluding the Idaho Basque Studies Center grant

Chapter eleven: The Basque Museum and Cultural Center
Acquiring, restoring, and renovating bricks and mortar
The Gernika Basque Pub and Eatery
Ongoing activities: “The strength of the museum comes from its volunteers”
Exhibits and special events
A streetscape for the Basque Block
Interns
Fundraising and grants
Conclusions

Chapter twelve: Feats of Strength and Endurance
Better Fights Incorporated
Weightlifting, weight carrying, and weigh pulling
Woodchoppers
Pelota
“We are having what kind of tournament?”

Chapter thirteen: Euzkaldunak Incorporated: The Boise Basque Center
Early Basque associationism
Inventing a Basque club
The first decades
The San Ignacio Festival weekend
The Sheepherders´ Ball
Mortzillak and bingo
Briska and mus
Expanding the range of activities
Politics and the Boise Basques
Anaiak Danok: Brothers All
Political voting and participation
Relations with homeland institutions
Basque Hall of Fame
Jaialdi: An international Basque festival
A few last words

Bibliography of Resources