Basque Country district
FORT LOUISBOURG
Xabi Otero, founder of Jauzarrea, talks to us about the Fortress of Louisbourg, Canada, and its Basque culture dissemination program. Basque farmers and merchants had a strong presence in this important 18th century enclave and Basque was the most widely spoken language, after French.
We discuss the history that the Basques of the 18th century led in an important enclave of Canada: the Fortress of Louisbourglocated on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia (Canada).
The presence of Basque fishermen and merchants in this fortress was very common, to the point that they represented 20% of the population, and Basque then became the second most spoken language in the colony. For this reason, Jauzarrea, the Fund for the Study and Dissemination of Basque Culture, has launched a program to recover the Basque presence in this fort, which is also the largest historical reconstruction in all of North America.
Xabi Oteroresearcher and founder of jauzarreatells us about the work they are doing to make the Basque language and Basque songs heard again in the streets of Louisbourg, to recover the costumes we wore then, and to represent the life of the Basques in this fort.
This year, two students, two women, will spend their summer teaching Basque, Basque culture and customs. Cider will be drunk in 5 of the fort’s restaurants, and chocolate will be tasted, as the Basques of Louisbourg did in 1744.
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