History of the Basque language and culture

1
History of the Basque language and culture
Basque Country nowadays geographical and
political regions

• The Basque Autonomous Community
• The Autonomous Community of Navarre
• The three provinces within the French state.

2
Origins to the Middle Ages

• Many archaeological sites to prove Palaeolithic
  existence. Romans and Greeks recorded existence
  of people and language from the C7th.
• The Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, Franks and
  Normans all tried to conquer the Basque country
  and absorb their culture all failed largely to
  integrate these people.
• Were a people of confederate organization. The
  Duchy of Vasconia created in C7th and the Kindom
  of Navarre in C9th ruled by a monarchy for four
  centuries.
• Navarre was the last region in the Iberian
  Peninsula to fall under Castillan control.
• The Spanish Crown conceded each region in Spain
  the right to maintain juridical and legislative
  independence with a set of charters and statutes
  called fueros.

• 1545 - the first book written in Basque of which
  we have knowledge by the poet Bernard Dechepare.
• Basque has always had a minority status. Even
  when most Basques were monolingual, the Basque
  language did not serve high functions.
  
  Eg.official documents were traditionally written
  in Latin or the Romance languages.
• The existence of at least four varieties of the
  language made it even harder to promote.

• From this history we can see that a sense of
  separate cultural and political identity has
  existed for many centuries.
• Augustin Chano (1811-58)
• saw all Basque history as a history of
  national defence against outside encroachment.
• The first to mention Euskal Herria as an
  oppressed nationality

3
Some useful words

• Euskera The Basque language
• Euzkadi word invented by Arana meaning the
  place of Basque
• race
• Euskaldunak speakers of Basque
• Batua Standardised version of Basque
• Euskal-Herria country of Euskara
• Euskaldunberri new Basque speaker

4
Middle ages to 1936

• Basque Country last region in Spain to maintain
  their fueros.

• 1876 Second Carlist War. Abolition of fueros
  and Basque autonomy.

Industrialisation Modernisation
Nationalism - Racialism
Appeared on the scene together.

• 1890s PNV (partido nacionalista vasco)
  founded by Sabino Arana.
• A political, isolationist and racialist
  nationalism.
• Reaction to
• a) high immigration to the cities and huge social
  change
• b) poor diffusion of the language
• c) Difficulty faced by prospective learners
• d) Unavailability of other national symbols
• Also, heavily linked to Catholicism, with aims to
  provide welfare to the poor.

• Language
• - Half-forgotten and derided by natives as
  anti-modern just at the time when the Catalan
  revival was happening.
  - Was generally lost
  to the regional elite. Not even leaders of the
  PNV were regular users.
• As a result language was side-lined and did not
  become a symbol of unity for nationalism.

5

• 1918 The Congress of Basque Studies acting
  independently of politics, the group of
  intellectuals aimed towards language reform.
• - The Basque Language Academy - was
  created aiming to work on a corpus of Euskera and
  its status.
• Language planning arose in conjunction with a
  host of social concerns public health, schools,
  social insurance, urban planning etc.

Fear of communism Post-war depression
Ruling classes support for centralist governments
in the hope of quelling working class unrest.
PNV turned to away from defensive nationalism to
more dynamic anti-capitalist ideology. Although,
the precepts established by Arana dominated up
until the Civil War
Remained crucial in the 1960s when Basque
nationalism turned to Marxism.

• 1923-30 Primo de Rivera dictatorship.
• Repression of nationalist parties
  boosted nationalist feelings.
• Fall of the dictatorship both Catalan and Basque
  nationalism emerged with renewed vigour.
• 1930-36 PNV became a Republican nationalist
  party under the Spanish Republic and governed the
  autonomous government installed in the nine
  months before the outbreak of the Civil War.

6
1) Aberri Eguna (día Nacional Vasco)

• Domingo de Resurrección de 1882.
• Sabino Arana, fundador del Partido Nacionalista
  Vasco (PNV) y padre del nacionalismo vasco.

7
Evolución del nacionalismo vasco

• El PNV apoya al gobierno republicano, el cual, en
  Octubre de 1936, aprueba el Estatuto de Autonomía
  del País Vasco. José María de Aguirre (presidente
  del País Vasco) promueve la lengua vasca,
  establece el orden y proporciona y distribuye
  comida a la población.
• Con la llegada de la Guerra Civil, el PNV se
  divide
• Aquellos que van al exilio.
• Aquellos que permanecen en el País Vasco (los más
  tradicionalistas y separatistas).
• ? 1945-1947 tras finalizar la II Guerra
  Mundial, cuentan con el apoyo de los Aliados para
  luchar contra el fascismo.
• ? 1948-1952 con la llegada de la Guerra Fría,
  los americanos se muestran más tolerantes con el
  régimen franquista. En consecuencia, el
  nacionalismo vasco queda desprotegido y decae.
• ?1953-1960 nacimiento del nuevo nacionalismo.

8
Agrupaciones y actividades nacionalistas

• Emakume Abertzale Batzar grupo de mujeres que
  llevan a cabo actividades culturales y
  caritativas.
• Euzko Gaztedi (EGI) Juventudes Vascas. Utilizan
  la violencia en contra de Franco.
• Confederación de Entidades Vascas de América.
• Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV)
• Interés por la difusión de la cultura (música,
  arte y folklore), la lengua y el nacionalismo
  vasco.
• En Septiembre de 1955 publicó un artículo sobre
  los deberes que tenía un buen nacionalista vasco
• a) Acudir y participar activamente en las
  reuniones del PNV.
• b) Enseñar la cultura y lengua vasca en casa.
• c) Difundir y hacer propaganda del nacionalismo
  vasco.
• Euzkadi ta Askatasuna (ETA)
• 1952 fundación en la Universidad de Deusto por
  siete estudiantes.
• Libro Vasconia, escrito por Federico Krutwig.

9
Ikastolas (escuelas vascas)

• 1950 en casas e iglesias de manera clandestina.
• Se prohíbe la enseñanza del euskera.
• 1970 son pocos los niños que acuden a las
  ikastolas, no sólo por miedo sino también por el
  alto coste.
• Finales 1970 se considera que las ikastolas han
  conseguido que la lengua vasca sea considerada
  como una lengua capaz de adaptarse a la sociedad
  moderna y tener un papel esencial en la educación.

10
Represión por parte de Franco

• 1937 caída de Bilbao. Supresión de la lengua
  vasca, cierre de universidades vascas,
  prohibición de sociedades culturales vascas, en
  los registros civiles los nombres vascos se
  cambian por nombres españoles, se queman libros
  escritos en vasco.
• Se controla la distribución de alimentos, a los
  nacionalistas vascos no se les permite tener
  propiedades, alrededor de mil niños vascos fueron
  enviados a Rusia, 3500 vascos emigraron a México,
  Venezuela y Argentina.
• 1968 Ley General de Educación. Se legalizan las
  ikastolas y se autoriza la enseñanza de lenguas
  regionales. Se reanudan los sermones en vasco y
  se permiten las agrupaciones de música y danza.
• 1975 protección de las lenguas regionales,
  siempre y cuando se siga considerando el español
  como lengua oficial.

11
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• Spanish Constitution 1978 (Section 3 preamble)
• -Spanish is the official language of the
  State,
• -The other Spanish languages shall also be
  official in the respective Self-governing
  communities in accordance with their Statutes
• Basque Government formed in 1979
• Basque Statute of Autonomy 1979 (Article 6)
• -Euskera, the language of the Basque People,
  shall, like Spanish, have the status of an
  official language in Euskadi. All its
  inhabitants have the right to know and use both
  languages,
• -The Royal Academy of the Basque Language is
  the official advisory institution in matters
  regarding Euskera.

12
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• HABE (Instituto para la Euskaldunización y
  Alfabetización de Adultos)
•  
• -Set up by the Basque Government in 1981
• Attached to the Basque Department of Culture, it
  was created by the Ley 29/1983
• -With its creation, the teaching of Basque took a
  new dimension, eg, he increased production of
  Basque teaching materials
• -Various functions to carry out its mission, eg,
  the design and implementation of the curriculum
  for the teaching of Basque to adults
• Elbide (Servicio para la Garantía de Derechos
  Lingüísticos)
•          -Set up by the Viceconsejería de
  Política Lingüística as a result of the Decreto
  150/2008
•          -Its aim is to achieve a real balance
  between the two official languages of the Basque
  Country
•          -It does this by ensuring that
  everybody has the possibility to live normally
  within the limits of their language, whatever it
  may be

13
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• Euskaltzaindia (The Academy for the Basque
  Language)
• -Made the official consultative body of the
  Basque language by the Statute of Autonomy 1979
  (Article 8)
• -The work of Euskaltzaindia is concerned with
  both the corpus and the status of the language
• -Art.1. The aim of this institution is to watch
  over the Basque language, paying close attention
  to its promotion, both philologically and
  socially.
• -Art.2. Accordingly, the Academy deals with both
  these areas in their respective sections the
  Research Section and the Tutelary Section, with
  members belonging to both.
• -Creation of Batua the standardised version of
  the Basque language
• EAS (System of Linguistic Indicators of Euskal
  Herria)
•          -Designed to provide local government,
  agents and organisations with detailed
  information about the status of the Basque
  language within the Basque country
•          -This information is necessary in
  order to determine and evaluate the performance
  of the linguistic policies and initiatives
  underway and to be able to adopt, in each
  particular area, the measures required to develop
  and improve these.
• -Linguistic indicators must take in
  consideration the factors present in each
  individual context, the operation, costs and
  results of the aforementioned linguistic policies
  and initiatives and determine in what areas these
  may be lacking.

14
Language Planning Measures put in place
post-Franco

• Ley Básica de la Normalización del Uso del
  Euskera / Law for the Normalisation of the Use of
  Basque 1982.
• This included
• - the right of students or their parents to
  choose the medium of instruction is established
• - pre-university students must receive language
  classes in the official language not used as
  medium of instruction
• - the Basque Government is to define the
  bilingual teaching models to be offered to
  parents
• - the Basque Government will take measures with
  regard to teachers language competence, plans of
  study and teacher training colleges in order to
  be able to satisfy parental demand for
  Basque-medium and language teaching.

15
Language Planning Measures put in place
post-Franco

• Three linguistic models introduced into education
  system as a result of the 1983 law which
  established the use of Basque at pre-university
  levels in the BAC. Children can complete their
  studies in one of the three following models
• Model A
• Spanish as teaching medium, Basque as a subject
  (4 to 5 hours per week).
• Model D
• Basque as teaching medium, Spanish as a subject
  (4 to 5 hours per week).
• Model B
• Both Spanish and Basque as medium subject.
• In this model the first three years of school are
  generally taught through Basque. At the age of
  six - the first year of primary education, they
  start to learn the readingwriting process and
  mathematics in Spanish.
• Model X, - not official and has practically
  disappeared.
• Spanish is used as the teaching medium and no
  Basque is present.
• This was the regular programme during Francos
  regime.

16
Which Model has become the most Popular?

• The figures for students enrolled in Model D have
  increased, while those enrolled in Model A have
  decreased.
• 1983-84 Model A 72.8, Model B 10.5, Model D
  16.5
• 2002-03 Model A 30.6, Model B 22.5, Model D
  46.4
• Lasagabaster, D., and Huguet, A., Multilingualism
  in European Bilingual Contexts Language Use and
  Attitudes, (Clevedon, England, Buffalo,
  Multilingual Matters, 2007) p.69
• Euskal Ikasmaterialgintza (EIMA) programme for
  primary and secondary schools
• The Department of Education subsidises the
  publication of school materials (printed, audio,
  audio-visual, computer programmes and CD-rom), so
  as to ensure that parents choosing Basque as a
  medium for the education of their children do not
  have to spend more on learning materials as a
  result of the smaller market

17
University Education

• The Spanish Ley de Orgánica de Universidades,
  approved in 2001 has been applied to the Basque
  Autonomous Community.
• Universities in the BAC must
• Promote the defence, study and promotion of the
  Basque cultural heritage.
• Promote the Basque Language.
• Introduce Basque in all areas of knowledge so as
  to contribute to the normalisation of the use of
  Basque.

18
Failures of the Education System

• One of the weaknesses of Basque in education is
  its degree of dependence on non-native speakers
• The demand for teaching depends on parental
  choice, there is no guarantee that demand will
  continue to expand.
• The use of Basque in education is linked to
  nationalist politics. A decline in nationalist
  strength could eventually lead to stagnation or
  some decline in the offer of Basque language
  teaching.

19
Failures of the Education System

• The role of the school is vital, but the
  production of competent second-language speakers
  is not enough to ensure the survival of Basque
  it cannot improve the situation on its own,
  Institutional action alone, without the support
  of social movements, is incapable of carrying out
  this task successfully. Lasagabaster, D., and
  Huguet, A., Multilingualism in European Bilingual
  Contexts. p.67

20
Politics of the Basque Country after Franco.

• After Francos repression of Basque culture and
  language, the people began to want to recover
  them. Legalisation and proliferation of
  Ikastolas, Euskaltegis (Basque schools for
  adults), Bertsolaritza classes (a type of singing
  in Basque).
• First general elections in 1979 saw EAJ-PNV
  (Basque Nationalist Party) and Herri Batasuna
  (Peoples Unity) received the most votes.

21
Politics of the Basque Country after Franco.

• Elections have generally followed this trend ever
  since, with a gradual increase in votes for the
  three main national parties (PP, PSOE and IU)

22
Politics of the Basque Country after Franco.
23
Politics of the Basque Country after Franco.

• HB a coalition of more radical political groups,
  which called for the KAS Alternative, which
  entailed
• - Total amnesty for
  supporters/members of ETA.
• - Recognition of Basque national
  sovereignty with the right to form an
• independent nation state if so
  desired
• - Expulsion of all Spanish police
  forces (Guardia Civil, etc.) from Euskadi.
• - Autonomous powers over social,
  economic and political system.
• They were also a lot more radical in their
  support for the Basque language- wanted an
  education system completely in Basque, as in
  Catalunya. They pushed for the creation of more
  Ikastolas, Euskaltegis, Basque-speaking youth
  groups etc.
• In 1998, during ETAs temporary truce, HB decided
  not to stand, however, most of its members did
  stand in the form of a temporary party Euskal
  Herritarrok, which denounced violence.
• Later, EH would reform and become Batasuna. In
  2002, however, the party was declared illegal
  under the Ley Orgánica de Partidos Políticos, as
  it was considered by some to be the political
  branch of ETA.

24
Politics of the Basque Country after Franco.

• PNV less radical. They fully condemn ETA, and are
  more moderate on the issue of education in
  Basque.The Lehendakari (Basque President) has
  always been from PNV.
• Current lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe.
  Ibarretxe is famous as the author of the
  Ibarretxe Plan- new Statute of Autonomy. Its key
  points were
• -The peoples right to
  self-determination (i.e. independence)- Basques
  only part
• of Spain by their own free choice.
• -Separation of Basque Courts from
  Spanish courts.
• -Creation of Basque citizens, and
  Basque nationals, with dual Spanish-Basque
  nationality possible.
• Plan was approved by the Basque parliament.
• In 2005 the plan was sent to the Spanish Congreso
  and was rejected, 313 votes to 29.

25
Politics of the Basque Country after Franco.

• Batasuna rejected it as it did not go far enough,
  only encompassing three of the seven Basque
  provinces, and allowing coexistence of Basque and
  Spanish nationality within Euskadi.
• ETAs violence, and Herri Batasunas failure to
  denounce it, have all served to potentially
  damage the status of the Basque language- radical
  Basque nationalists defend and speak in Basque,
  and the two may become associated and dissuade
  its use. This does not happen, for example, in
  Catalunya and Galicia.

26
Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
31
Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
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Effectiveness Of Language Planning Measures
35
Future Developments

• El Gobierno ha puesto en marcha una serie de
  planes para incrementar el uso del euskera en el
  mundo laboral.
• Programa LanHitz
• El programa LanHitz es una iniciativa
  destinada a incrementar el uso y la presencia del
  euskera también en el mundo del trabajo.

36
Future Developments

• Marco de Referencia Estándar
• El Marco de Referencia Estándar, también
  denominado EME, es un cuadro de ayuda en el que
  se encuentran todos los campos propios de
  cualquier empresa con relación al lenguaje.

37
Future Developments

• Plan General de Promoción del Uso del Euskera
  (EBPN) para seguir avanzando en la normalización
  lingüística.
• Tres objetivos básicos
• -La transmisión del euskera
• -Uso social
• -Calidad de la lengua.
• Certificados que acrediten que las empresas
  llevan a cabo estos planes correctamente.

38
Future Developments

• Think Gaur Euskadi 2020, un proyecto que pretende
  conseguir una educación trilingüe y dar a conocer
  la cultura vasca.
• Continuar mejorando en materia educativa
• -Cualificación lingüística del profesorado
• -Estudios universitarios
• -Formación Profesional

39
Bibliography

• The Franco years and beyond, Clark, Robert P.
• The Basques, the Catalans and Spain, Conversi,
  Daniele
• Divided Nations class, politics, and Nationalism
  in the Basque Country and Catalonia, Díez
  Medrano, Juan
• http//www.euskaltzaindia.net/erakundea/index.asp?
  gaiaegitasmoakhizkuntzaen
• http//www1.fa.knaw.nl/mercator/regionale_dossiers
  /PDFs/basque_in_spain2nd.pdf
• Lasagabaster, D., and Huguet, A., Multilingualism
  in European Bilingual Contexts Language Use and
  Attitudes, (Clevedon, England, Buffalo,
  Multilingual Matters, 2007)
• http//www.thinkgaureuskadi2020.com/cast/index.asp
  
• http//www.barcelona2004.org/esp/eventos/dialogos/
  docs/ponencias/151p_fetxebarriaesp.pdf
• http//www.euskara.euskadi.net/r59-734/es/
• Urla, Jacqueline, 1993. Cultural politics in an
  age of statistics. Numbers, nations and the
  making of Basque Identity. American Ethnologist,
  204 pp.818-843