With the motto “Atzo, Gaur eta Beti” (yesterday, today and forever) the Euskal Artzainak Ameriketan Association (that gathers former Basque Sheepherders in America returned to the Basque Country) will pay tribute to the women who achieved transmitting and maintaining the Basque culture in America. This will take place at its annual festival next weekend in Bera. On the other hand, herders from Behe Nafarroa will celebrate their annual get-together on Sunday with a meal at the trinquet in Luhuso.
Bera, Navarre. Euskal Artzainak Ameriketan will celebrate its annual festival/tribute on October 3 in Bera. This year, the organization wants to stress the importance of cultural transmission and values that it hopes to support and that they consider fundamental in the work that they have been doing over the years.
So in addition to this year’s festivities and focusing on cultural transmission, they want to emphasize the work done by women who emigrated to the USA "who were tasked with transmitting our culture, language and love for our country to their children in this far-away land."
Herders from Bizkaia and the USA
This year, and with the collaboration of Koldo San Sebastian and Olga Dolagarai, there are expecting the arrival of a bus from Bizkaia, another Basque province that also suffered a large emigration.
They are also expecting herders and family members who are coming expressly from America to share this day with their friends.
Six or seven hundred people are expected to attend this annual gathering.
Program
The program of activities follows:
- 10h. Arrival and snack provided by the students at Bera’s music school
- Mass: 12:00h after mass Dolores Lazkano will be remembered who started the group in Bera and was involved until her death.
- A tribute to women who emigrated will take place to thank them for their work in cultural transmission, including a song composed by Bankako Menditarrak
- There will also be a photo exhibit at the Cultural Center with herders from Baztan and Etxalar, Lesaka and Bera
- 13.30h. Meal with entertainment from accordionist Francisco
- 18h. Raffle
- 19h. Festivities conclude
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