Basque left mark on Nevada

The 1850s gold rush mixed with the harsh political and economic climate in their homeland brought the Basque people to the United States.

Since their arrival, they've left their mark on the area through their language and traditions. Many became fishermen, entered the army or joined the clergy, but the Basque culture is commonly associated with sheepherding.

"The majority of the Basques ended up here in Nevada because of the gold rush. They came for the mining but realized they could make more money raising animals for the camps," said Kate Camino, office manager of the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Many of the Basque families have remained in Northern Nevada, creating a strong presence that has resulted in cultural celebrations and restaurants throughout the region.

It was sheepherding that brought John Uhart's parents from the Basque country. His father arrived in 1929 at the age of 19 to help the family sheep ranches in Dayton and Mound House. John's mother arrived in the area in 1936.

"The Basque were some of the first settlers of this area. They provided jobs and meat and the economy for this area for a long time," said Uhart, who spoke to St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School students Wednesday in preparation for the annual Basque Festival at Fuji Park today.

"The typical fare in Basque restaurants isn't what you would eat in the Basque country, it comes out of the Basque boarding houses," Camino said, who lived and studied in the Basque Country and speaks fluent Basque, French, Spanish, and English. "So it's actually Basque-American cuisine."

The Basque culture and people are surrounded by a mysterious quality, partially because of the geographical isolation inherent with their region and their unique language, Euskera.

The Basque people are from a semiautonomous region joining the Pyrenees Mountains in the north of Spain and a small section of the coast of southern France. There are seven traditional provinces, four in Spain and three in France.

"The language is still an enigma to most people. Because it doesn't link to any other language, many people put it in its own language family," Camino said.

While no written historical records exist for the Basques they are believed to be some of the oldest inhabitants of Europe.

"They have found cave paintings both in France and Spain that are now being attributed to the Basque culture," Camino said.

Despite the mysterious nature of his heritage, Uhart said he looks at his culture in a different way.

"The Basque people are very hard workers, dedicated to what they do and very family oriented," Uhart said. "Growing up family was a huge thing. Because of that dedication that was a huge thing within the culture and my house."

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.

If you go

WHAT: Ninth annual Basque Festival

WHEN: 11 a.m. today gates open; Field Mass at noon; picon and chorizo bars opens at 1 p.m., dinner from 1-3 p.m.; events and entertainment at 1 p.m. See full schedule at www.basquefestival.org

WHERE: Fuji Park

COST: $30 at the door; $25 in advance; 15-younger free

CALL: 885-2079