🚀 go-pugleaf

On Wed, 7 Oct 1998, Inaki Agirre wrote:

> I'd say that keeping alive our traditions and know-how
        to apply them to the problems to face in the future
        is valuable. Cultural diversity is a treasure.  Is
        something like biological diversity, something that must be
        preserved despite of the flows of history.


I do agree with you, Inaki.  "Globalization" may really be
another term for a mass brain-washing and the disintegration
of personal identity.  We must struggle to hold onto our
traditions in the face of this trend.  Thus, I find it rather
ironic that anyone would, on the one hand, pay lip-service to
the preservation of the Basque cultural heritage, while, on
the other hand, be so eager to weed out possible samples of
that same heritage, simply because they are communicated
through the "wrong" medium--be it a carving in the "wrong"
geographical area (e.g., on a birch tree near Reno, Nevada),
or a film in the "wrong" language.  In fighting to preserve
this heritage, it makes more sense to treasure every possible
shred of our culture whether it be through the writings of Pio
Baroja or Barandiaran.  Certainly there has been a communication
of Basque culture in the arena of cinema, even if this
communication may not mirror reality precisely.  What form of
art ever does?  On the other hand, surely these movies would
be more authentic when communicated in Euskera as long
as the use of Euskera in the movie actually reflects the
usage of Euskera in Euskalherria.  Let's face it:  many Basques
speak French or Spanish too and will use these languages
depending on the setting.  Would a movie showing this cultural
use of French or Spanish be any less Basque?