Ramajla Maya Duratovic, left, poses along with member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Mladi Bihar group. In the photo at the right, the Oinkari dancers dance with Mladi Bihar (photos M.B.)
The cultural group in Bosnia Herzegovina in Boise has recently celebrated its first annual festival. “It was a small festival, but many people attended,” Ramajla Maya Duratovic, a group representative, explained to EuskalKultura.com. There were nearly 1,000 people, including members of the Boise Oinkari Dancers and Patty Miller, director of the Boise Basque Museum. The organizers presented Miller a plaque of recognition, on behalf of the community: “If it weren’t for the support that we received from the Basques, the cultural group Bosnia Herzegovina would not exist in Boise,” Duratovic assured.
Boise, Idaho. Fifteen years ago members of the Bosnia-Herzegovina community in Boise created the Mladi Behar (young flower) cultural group, and since then they have organized talks, dances and exhibits. But they hadn’t celebrated a festival until May 9. “The group was created for emigrants from Bosnia-Herzegovina so that we can maintain our culture,” Ramajla Maya Duratovic explains. “It isn’t easy for people from Bosnia-Herzegovina to get together because after the war, especially between the older generations, there is a lot of grudges. But I have hope that the younger generations can get together, at least here (in the USA),” she wishes.
The political-religious themes are avoided at the group’s get-togethers, kind of how it is in NABO, the federation of Basque clubs and organizations that historically has been a-political.
Great consideration
Members of Mladi Behar have a lot of consideration for the Basques. According to the group representative, “at first, nobody paid attention to us and we were very lucky because when I went to the Basque Museum they said yes and let us, free of charge, use their site for our meetings. Without this help we wouldn’t have gotten to where we are.”
As a sign of this support, at the May festival, they presented Patty Miller, director of the Museum and Basque Cultural Center in Boise with a plaque. “It is a token of our brotherhood between the two groups. I see the Basques as our sponsors, who helped us in most difficult times.
The association has 30 youth in its dance group and in order to know their steps towards the future “we usually look at what the Basque do,” Duratovic says. “The Basques have achieved impressive things in Boise, they have worked hard to maintain unity and the health of the community. For us it is a great example to follow.”
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