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The Euskal Artzainak Ameriketan Association celebrated its annual meeting in Bera on October 3.  The event gathered more than 500 people, including herders who worked in the US accompanied by their families.  This year, women were highlighted, many of them accompanied their husbands on this American adventure, and they were especially recognized for their main contribution, thousands of miles away from the Basque Country, in the transmition of Euskera and love for the Basque culture to the new Basque-American generations.. 

Bera, Navarre.   Hundreds of youth men in the Basque Country traveled to America to work as sheepherders in the mountains and valleys of the US during the last century, but they weren’t along.  Many were accompanied by their wives who shared this adventure, and who settled in unknown places and in many cases raised their families, practically by themselves, while their husbands took care of the flocks in the mountains.

These women were in charge of transmitting Euskera and Basque traditions to their children and they did so, despite living thousands of miles from the Basque Country, in the middle of the American West.  All of them were honored by the Euskal Artzinak Ameriketan association at their annual meeting that was held in Bera.

The festivities began with mass at the Church of San Esteban, as Laura Igantzi, association president, told EuskalKultura.com.  During mass the Bera choir and the Bankako Menditarrak both sang.  The most emotional moment during the mass took place when honoring Dolores Lazkano, one of the association’s founders and huge supporter of its activities until the time of her death.  Her daughter Maitetxu Leonis Lazkano, emotionally thanked everyone for the recognition and committed herself to continue her work in favor of the herders.

After mass, the group of over 500 moved to the fronton in Bera where they were greeting with a highball, typical drink in the American West, prepared by Mario and Jesus Mari Jorajuria and Jose Mari Arretxea, all from Sunbilla, Patxi Murillo (from Orondritz), Alfredo Urbeltz (from Sorogain) and Felix Almirantearena (from Orbaitzeta).  The meal was accompanied by great ambiance where attendees could share stories and anecdotes of those hard years that are now remembered fondly.