2019: Kaliforniako Eusakldunen Atzak Event
1:00 PM
EARLY BASQUE PRESENCE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Presented by: Marianna Etcheverria, Jeanette Bidart, and Mitch Gariador
The Sneak Preview: Basques originally came to the American West soon after the discovery of gold in northern California. Many Basques soon realized that they were much better suited to agriculture and other pursuits.
Southern California will focus on early Basques who would eventually become wealthy land owners. Among them one would become a well-known attorney, one was a medical doctor and early Los Angeles even had a newspaper published in Basque. Los Angeles also had a Basque Monk from Aldude who would eventually build a church in Montebello.
In time these Basques would spread to Santa Barbara, Tehachapi, San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, La Puente and Chino. These areas, rich in Basque history will be touched upon in the presentation.
2:00 PM
THE LONG WALK: SHEEP TRANSHUMANCE FROM KERN COUNTY TO THE HIGH SIERRA
Presented by: Steven Gamboa, Steve Bass, and Janet Barreneche; artwork by Pat Fernandez
The Sneak Preview: For over a century, the Basque sheepherders of Kern County practiced a form of animal husbandry unique in North America: driving their herds hundreds of miles on foot from the Central Valley and Mojave Desert to distant summer pastures in the High Sierras. The seasonal movement of livestock between winter and summer pastures is called transhumance, and it is practiced in various forms throughout the world. But there are few examples anywhere that compare with the Long Walk in terms of distance covered and the number of people, sheep, dogs and donkeys involved. The tradition of transhumance shaped the sheep industry, and by extension the Basque community, in Bakersfield and the Central Valley, and also left an indelible mark in the memories of the men and women who were part of this extraordinary journey.
3:15 PM
EARLY BASQUE PRESENCE IN NORTH CALIFORNIA
Presented by: Nancy Zubiri
The Sneak Preview: Basques have been in the San Francisco area since the Gold Rush days. Today, they boast a shining Cultural Center with a professional handball court, a popular restaurant and a banquet hall that is constantly in demand. Basque dancing, mus tournaments, dinners and cultural festivals continue, despite the fact that immigration from the Basque Country ceased during the 1960s. Learn about some of the key developments that occurred in the great City by the Bay that has kept the Basque community united and thriving.
4:15 PM
THE GREATEST GENERATION: Bay Area BASQUES IN WWII
Presented by: Pedro Oiarzabal
The Sneak Preview: Dr. Pedro J. Oiarzabal, author of “Gardeners of Identity: Basques in the San Francisco Bay Area”, will present “The greatest generation. Bay Area Basques in WWII”. The presentation will introduce the lives of a selection of veterans of Basque origin and their families who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time of the war in order to learn about their war experiences and honor their sacrifices.
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