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At an event organized by the local Basque club, Olga Leiciaga presented her books, Sowing and Harvesting and Crossing Barbed Wire and Opening Gates.  In both texts, the author reminisces about anecdotes in her life, in her hometown of Saladillo as well as where she currently lives, in Corpus Christin, in Misiones.  The stories reveal the influence that the knowledge of being a Basque descendant had on the author.  Remember that Leiciaga is part of the founding board of directors of the Basque clubs in both Saladillo and Corpus Christi. 

Saladillo, Argentina.   The presentation of the two books took place on November 17 and was attended by a large audience comprised of Basque club members and friends as well as some of Leiciaga’s former students from her years as a teacher. And even if one of the books isn’t exactly new, Sowing and Harvesting, which is from 2012, it had never been presented in Saladillo.  The author realized that “she had to honor a debt to Saladillo.  Sowing and Harvesting was written when I left here and I had never presented it.  Even if it talks more about Misiones, it has something to do with my persona story, because I begin by talking about by Basque ancestors, there is poetry dedicated to them and to grandparents in general, and later along with the places Saladillo and Misiones,” she explained to EuskalKultura.com.

She also presented her more recent work Crossing Barbed Wire and Opening Gates published this year where she delves into her infancy in Emiliano Reynoso, the rural area of Saladillo she was born in, and the people and places that have marked her since that time.  In this book she also reviews her arrival to Misiones and her meeting the Guarani People including details about her trip to the Basque Country where she had the opportunity to visit the hometown of her paternal great-grandparents in Zuberoa.

The presentation was filled with anecdotes and memories that she share with those present.

Olga Rosa ‘kerechú’

Without a doubt, the contact with the Guarani people deserved a special chapter, separate from her memories and the present experiences of the Corpus Christi Basque Club president.  In fact, there are several activities that the club organizes in hopes of giving more space and visibility to the culture of this native people.  Remember that this year, the club also included Mbya-Guarani language in its Literary Contest.

In Crossing Barbed Wire and Opening Gates Olga relates the emotional details about her meeting with the Guarani community.  “I had the satisfaction, and that is why this book says Olga Rosa Leiciaga, Kerechú, the name the chief baptized me with.  “Kerechu” means “Mistress of time,” they baptized me again, and when I go to any indigenous community I have to say: I am Kerechu, and indicate who named me this.  When I was a child I dreamt and thought that I had indigenous blood, I’m not sure why. What I do know is that I could never keep from crying when people would discuss or speak poorly of the indigenous peoples. And if they are neglected, it makes me cry now too.”