Bizi Emankorra
nomination form
2008 recipients:

Francois Pedeflous
Leadership
role: past NABO President
Francois
Pedeflous has not only been an active member in
NABO but also in the Los Banos, Fresno and KCBC
Basque Clubs. He had always been a strong
supporter in pelota, generously donated many
hours of hard work in promoting the sport as
well as monetary donations. While being the NABO
Pelota Chairman, Francois Pedeflous was very
instrumental in the formation of the United
States Federation of Pelota which was
established on March 20, 1982 in Miami, Florida.
Proud of his Basque heritage, Frank spent most
of his adult life promoting and preserving
Basque culture.
He served in various leadership positions in the
Los Banos and Frenso Basque Clubs, and as NABO
President from 1981--83. He was also
instrumental in keeping pilota (Basque handball)
going, serving in various capacities on the
national and international levels.
Frank was well known for his dedication to his
family and friends, his drive and courage in
business, his love of food and wine, his black
beret, and his passion for baseball!
As a
new immigrant to the United States, he learned
to read and write English by reading Boxing Ring
Magazine, and he proudly became a US citizen in
1955. He also enjoyed hunting, playing Mus
and visiting friends and relatives throughout
the Basque-American community and Euskal Herria.
|

Jean Leon
Iribarren
Leadership role:
Past NABO President &
Treasurer
Jean-Leon
Iribarren attended the first organizational meeting
held to establish what we now call NABO. He was a
delegate to NABO from the San Francisco Basque Club
for several years, and then served as NABO President
1987-90; previous to that he served as NABO's
treasurer 1Tr983-87.
In 1967-1968, he
served as president of San Francisco Basque Club,
and 1974-80, 1983-87, was treasurer. In 1978, he
was key in organizing the 1978 NABO convention,
which also hosted San Francisco's first
international mus card game tournament. Around this
time, he also helped organize the first Basque
Music summer camp, still popular to this day as
Udaleku.
In the SF Basque
Club's earlier years, he was amongst those who were
involved in the early land acquisition in the south
bay, which was planned as the site for future
Basque picnics which had grown in popularity.
Despite his ambitions, it’s failed attempted,
provided the spark for the creation of a local
Euskal Etxea. In the early 1980s, he was part of an
entrepreneurial few who recruited participants in
the private financing of what is the San Francisco
Basque Cultural Center. NABO was in full swing, and
its vision attracted much of his efforts. Between
1983 and 1987 he served as treasurer, and 1987-90 as
president. He remained active in all of these
organizations until his untimely death in 1993.
Jean-Leon
Iribarren was an exceptional man who always
responded to requests for help from individuals and
organizations. He will be remembered as a leader,
educator, motivator, and mediator who influenced
many of his peers. The success of these Basque
organizations is a great memory to his legacy. |
2007 Recipient:
Jacques Unhassobiscay
His vision for NABO was widespread. He saw NABO as
the necessary vehicle to unify small and large
Basque clubs so that together they could promote
Basque culture.
Jacques was the 3rd president of NABO,
and during his term he attended as many Basque club
functions throughout the western US as possible. At
these functions, he would promote NABO and educate
members and clubs as to what NABO was about and what
its role and significance was in relation to the
promotion of Basque culture. He felt that NABO was a
tool for future Basque generations, from nationwide
locations, to enable each other to interact together
at activities and functions that NABO would sponsor.
During these formative years of NABO getting Basque
clubs to join was a serious challenge. During his
term as president NABO initiated popular events,
such as the NABO pilota tournament, that enticed
clubs to join NABO. With his persistence and going
beyond the call of duties of president, NABO’s club
membership nearly tripled during Jacques’ tenure as
NABO president.
His vision strongly impacted Basque culture in the
US and enabled NABO to grow in membership.
In
1978 NABO sponsored a pilota team, which competed in
the world tournament in Biarritz. With Jacques’
assistance this led to the formation of the United
States Federation of Pilota, for whom Jacques served
as inaugural president. He
returned to Euskal Herria in 1984 and started a
farming business. This gave him the opportunity to
enjoy his first love – the euskal herriko mendiak.
(Pyrenees mountains)
Jacques passed away in 2002 in a farming accident in
the Basque Country. He is survived by his wife
Dorothy and his three children, Marc, Daniel and
Jacqueline.
2006
Recipients
Grace Mainvil
Grace was born in San Juan Capistrano,
California in 1934. She is the daughter of
Basque immigrants who settled in California. Her
father, Jean Pierre Lacouague, arrived in San
Juan Capistrano, California from Ainhoa, Lapurdi
in 1910. Her mother, Bonifacia Mujica, came to
Fullerton, California in 1912 from Maya in the
Baztan Valley of Nafarroa. Grace spent her early
years on her parent’s ranch where she grew up
with traditional Basque life and culture. After
marrying John Mainvil in 1959, they settled in
Riverside, Califormia. Where they were involved
in the Southern Californian Basque community of
Chino. In 1972, they moved with their four
daughters to Weiser, Idaho. After retirement,
they moved in 2002 to Eagle, Idaho where they
currently reside.
She was selected to be Ontario’s N.A.B.O.
delegate in 1982. Because of her desire and
passion to contribute to Basque culture, she has
represented Ontario at N.A.B.O. for over 20
years. Through the enthusiastic and detailed
N.A.B.O. reports that Grace gives at the Ontario
meetings, it is evident that she truly believes
in and is dedicated to the mission of N.A.B.O..
In 1987 Grace was elected to the office of
N.A.B.O. Treasurer, a position of great
responsibility that she has retained for many
years. Always looking out for the best
interests of our federation, Grace has done a
thorough and impeccable job in this office. She
pursues with equal vigor matters of cents and
those of thousands of dollars. Her professional
attitude and detailed treasurer’s reports
reflect her dedication to our organization. For
eighteen years Grace has provided continuity at
the head table at N.A.B.O. meetings. Over the
years many presidents have come and gone while
Grace has quietly served as our trusty anchor.
She has become an invaluable resource for all of
us regarding our collective past.
In 2003, Grace was chosen to represent N.A.B.O.
at the Third World Congress on Basque
Communities held in Gasteiz, Araba. She was an
ideal ambassador for our federation because of
her in-depth knowledge of N.A.B.O., her interest
in Basque culture worldwide, and her friendly
manner and ease of communication with other
participants. Her life-long passion to be
involved in and promote Basque culture in
communities surrounding her makes her a strong
candidate for this honor. Above all, however,
we felt that Grace deserves this award because
she truly embodies the ideals of N.A.B.O..
In her quiet way, Grace has played an
indispensable role in helping N.A.B.O. fulfill
its mission. She has done this directly by
serving as treasurer for nearly two decades and
indirectly through her work for Ontario, Oregon
Basque Club, representing our views at the
N.A.B.O. level. She is committed to the success
of N.A.B.O. and works with all member clubs
whenever they need assistance.
|
Pierre Etcharren
Pierre was one of the founding
members of both the San Francisco Basque Club
and Basque Cultural center. Because of his
experience with Basque dance in Euskal Herria,
he instructed and directed the San Francisco
dance groups for over 25 years. His passion in
this area moved him to start Udaleku (formerly
know as Music Camp). The first Udaleku took
place in three phases, hosted in Boise, Reno and
San Francisco. Pierre worked to bring the first
dance and txistu teachers – Jon Onatibia, from
Oyarzun, and Luis Manuel Mentxaka. He has also
helped organize this event the numerous times it
has be hosted in San Francisco. He still
believes that Udaleku is one of NABO’s finest
accomplishments, and works to keep its high
standards.
Pierre was the founder of the
International Mus Tournament of the world’s
Basque communities. In 1978 he traveled with
the NABO Mus winners to the Basque Country,
where he had made connections and had arranged
to have them participate in an existing regional
tournament held in Ascain between France and San
Sebastian. Under his vision, he took this small
tournament and in 1979 in San Francisco
transformed it into a truly international
championship with participation of 7 countries.
This tournament has been held every year since
then, and includes participation of all the
world Basque communities. In 2003 he was chosen
as the recipient of the Mus Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Basque Mus Communities in
Argentina. The award itself was presented to
him in Acapulco, Mexico in 2004 by Manuelo
Arriola of Argentina.
Pierre felt it was important that
NABO member clubs participate in some fashion,
either with dance group, klika, pelotari, wood
chopping, or singing, at the annual
conventions. With Pierre as Chairman, and the
help of the San Francisco Basque Club, the 1979
convention in San Francisco was a realization of
this dream. It was the first time all NABO dance
groups and klikas were present. Also present at
the convention was Udaleku and the first
International Mus Tournament.
Pierre served as NABO President
from 2000-2004, and represented NABO at the 2000
Semana Vasca in Necochea, Argentina and gave a
presentation on the NABO Udaleku program. In
2002 he was invited to Vitoria-Gasteiz, Araba by
President Ibarretxe to give a report on NABO’s
cultural activities. He took that opportunity
to convince the Basque Government to change the
dates of the Gaztemundu program and 2003 World
Congress of Basque Collectives to July so that
there could be greater participation by NABO
members. By invitation of President Ibarretxe,
he attended the 2003 World Congress.
His persistence and countless
volunteer hours have helped NABO become the well
respected organization that it is today. |
2005
Recipients

Aita Jean-Pierre Cachenaut
In
the early years of N. A. B. O. Father Cachenaut
was a binding agent, an ambassador throughout
the Western states and Euskal Herria for
N. A. B. O. He knew no stranger; he crossed all
dialectal and provincial borders to make
everyone welcome in his realm. Just his warmth
and strong handshake made you feel apart of his
world. He blended the ecclesiastical with being
Basque well. He was never too heavy on either.
There isn’t a Basque in the western US that has
contacts in Euskal Herria that Father doesn’t
know. Whether you are in the U. S. or in E. H.
with a couple of phone calls by Father can
locate someone here or there. There wasn’t a N.
A. B. O. convention that you didn’t see Father
and even after his 10+ years stay here he
brought groups from E. H. to N. A. B. O.
functions. He also helps people and groups while
they are in E. H. He helped the Spring Creek
Nevada Band and Choir back in the year 2000 put
on performances in Bayonne that were well
received. He was there for the Boise Biotzetik
Choir when they needed him too.
Remember a wedding, baptism, funeral, festival
or other function he was at here or in Euskal
Herria? There are many to think of, all the
miles he drove just to be at each of our special
days. He is always so uplifting, energetic, and
pleasant to be around.
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Miguel "Mike" Olano
Mike was born in Busturia, Bizkaia, in 1923 and
came to the U.S. in 1948, after completing
military service in Africa. He started out as a
sheepherder in Yakima Washington, and after
pursuing different job interests in various
western states, he finally ended up in
Winnemucca where he purchased the Winnemucca
Hotel with his partner, Claudio Aguirre in
1963.
According to Mike it was his idea to buy the
hotel, “so we bought it having never sold a
“high-ball” before, not even whiskey.” In 1971,
he bought his partner out and continues to be
the sole owner today.
Mike Olano has been a member of the Euskaldunak
Danak Bat Basque Club for over 40 years, serving
in several capacities: 8 Years as Club
President, 8 Years as Vice-President. Mike was
a NABO delegate for 25 years, just recently
stepping down due to health reasons. Mike was
the first person to incorporate wood chopping
and weight lifting in the Winnemucca Festival.
One of Mike's proudest moments was serving as
Parade Marshal at the Winnemucca Festival.
Since arriving in Winnemucca in 1963, Mike has
been the "Good Will Ambassador" for Euskaldunak
Danak Bat Basque Club and the entire Basque
Community in Norhern Nevada.
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2004
Recipients
Jesus Pedroarena
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Frances
Pedroarena
|
2003
Recipients

Bob Echeverria
Robert L. "Bob" Echeverria, born
in Winnemucca, Nevada 3-10-42 to Pablo and Carol
Bullis Echeverria
Amuma: Sinforosa Malaxechevarria Gabiola,
Amoroto, 1878
Aitxitxe: Venturo "Ben"
Echeverria, Ispaster 1879
K-12 Humboldt County Schools,
1966 BS Education , UNR, 1987 AA
Corrections,NNCC, 1994 Masters of Education,
UNR
Commissioned a 2nd Lt. upon
graduation from UNR in 1966, served in US Army
Infentry in Alaska, Vietnam and Olkahoma,
decorations among others are: Silver Star,
Bronze Star, Vietnamese Cross of Gallentry and
the Combat Infantry Badge.
Separated service in 1970, as a
Captain, returned to live in Reno with wife
Cheryl and three boys; Timothy Paul, Patrick
Mateo and Dominic Jon. Moved to Elko in 1973 and
finally connected with an organized Basque
community through the Elko Basque Club. All my
sons did the Basque Dancing and the NABO Music
Camps, all speak some Spanish and one is fluent
in Basque. None of these things were around when
I was growing up and no Basque was spoken in my
home except with some visitiors. I am the proud
Aitxitxe of 7 grand children.
Moved to Elko in 1973, worked 28
years at the Nevada Youth training Center as a
teacher of Social Studies, move to the Elko
County School District in 2001 where I remain as
a teacher of the Alternative School for the
district, grades 6-11, sort of a "one-room"
school for students "at-risk".
Have been an active member of the
Elko Basque Club since 1973, served as President
for 7 years and on the Board of Directors and
NABO Delegate for most of the years between, I
served as NABO President for 7 years and for the
past three have been an active Vice-President.
Even though I do not speak Basque
or Spanish I feel that I am Basque where it
counts "in the heart" and "in service to the
culture"...I was blessed with great support for
my years as NABO President and was honored to
represent NABO in the following ways:
1993-1995...Consulant to the
project "Amerikanuak! Basques in the High
Desert"
1994............Meeting in
Washington DC for the American Basque Foundation
1995............Delegate to
the 1st World Basque Congress in Victoria-Gatize
1996............Meeting in
Washington DC for the American Basque Foundation
1997............Argentina for
their National Basque Festival in Rosiaro
1999............Delegate to
the 2nd World Basque Congress in Victoria-Gatize
2000............To Chicago as
for the design awards for "Bilbao, the
Transformation of a City"
2000............Delegate to
the 2nd American Congress, Nechochea, Argentina |
Luis
Manuel Pe-Mentxaka
Luis-Manuel Pe-Mentxaka y Herrán
Nací en Barcelona el año 1.948,
de familia basca nacidos en Bilbao.
Mis padres eran Manuel Pe
Mentxaka y Margarita Mª Herrán Otaduy
Estoy casado con Rosa
María,Fernández Pando ( 1.980 ), a la que
conoceis algunos de vosotros y tengo dos hijos
Aitor ( 21 ) y Asier ( 16 ).
Actualmente tengo mi estudio
como arquitecto y trabajo como Arquitecto
Tasodor Hipotecario ( Valoración de viviendas
para la concesión de créditos ) para BBK (
Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa ) y para la Caja de Ahorros
de Navarra.
Me gradué como Arquitecto en la
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid ( 1,980 ) y
como Profesor de Piano en el Real Conservatorio
Superior de Música de Madrid ( 1.970 )
En 1.971 obtuve el primer premio
de composición de Canción Infantil de TVE.
Aunque toda mi vida la he
desarrollado en Madrid, la educación que recibí
de mis padres fué totalmente basca,
desarrollando en mí todo al cariño hacia nuestra
tierra Euzkadi.
El verano de 1.959, mi aita me
compró en Bilbao un txistu y con un amigo de la
familia, aprendí las primeras lecciones de
txistu, que luego continué estudiando con un
amigo de Madrid, Juan Jose Ugalde, de Gazteiz,
que vivía en Madrid. Actualmente, seguimos
tocando el txistu juntos en todas las ocasiones
en que se nos llama para celebraciones en
multitud de sitios, así como en radio, cine y
televisión.
Durante los veranos, en los años
60 y 70, recorría Euzkadi, con los txistularis
de Bilibao, y tocando en todos los alardes de
tixtularis que se hacían por los pueblos con
motivo de las fiestas patronales.
Soy socio fundador de la
Sociedad "Euzkal Etxea " de Madrid, que nació
como unión de todas las personas bascas que
residíamos en Madrid, actuando como organista en
la Misa de los Domingos así como tocando el
txistu en todas las ocasiones en que se me
llamaba.
Dimos una gira de conciertos,
contratados por Radio Nacional con Kepa Junkera,
por Holanda el año de 1.989.
Actualmente pertenezco, desde
1.984, año de su fundación, a un coro
profesional dedicado a la investigación e
interpretación del Canto Gregoriano, "Schola
Antiqua", habiendo realizado varias grabaciones
y dando conciertos por Europa y EEUU.
En esta asociación ( Euzkal
Etxea ), conocí a Sabin Olaskoaga, contante del
grupo "Los XEY", con el cual en muchas ocasiones
hemos tocado el txistu y el acordeón
conjuntamente. Su hija Anetxu, tuvo conocimiento
en 1.979 de la muerte de Jon Oñatibia y recurrió
a su padre para que buscase un txistulari par el
Music Camp de ese año en San Francisco.
Cuando a mí me llamó Sabin,
estaba en Israel y en Grecia en una gira de
conciertos corales, con una coral de canto
polifónico, de la que yo era el director.
Con la primera persona que yo
hablé fué con Pier Etxarren y cuando me preguntó
como nos reconoceríamos en el aeropuerto al
llegar, le dije : Iré con Txapela, que es la
cédula de identificación de un basco. No hubo
ningún problema de identificación.
Posteriormente seguí asistienda
a Music Camp en diferentes lugares : Fresno,
Boise (varios veces ) Chino, Salt Lake City,
Winnemuca, Backersfield, etc. hasta el año de
1.996 en que viajé a Music Camp por última vez.
( No sé si me olvido algún sitio
)
Recuerdos de Music Camp: De todos los Music
Camp, guardo un maravilloso recuerdo, ( partidas
de mus, las clases, fiestas, picnics, bailes de
musumé ) y sobre todo de las personas con las
que tuve contacto y de todos los chavales, los
cuales creo que algunos se acuerdarán de mí.
Familias como : Elu, Etxarren,
Inda, Anacabe (Franzoia), Beristain, Campos,
Eiguren, Yzurza, Jausoro, Anes Mendiola,
Pedeflous, Goitiandía, Iribarren, Achurra,
Sangroniz, Miller, Donahue (Megan ), Bidaurreta,
Cendagorta, Better, Grupo Oinkari y otros
muchos.
Seguro que me olvido de alguna y
pido perdón por el olvido
Este es el mejor recuerdo que
tengo de Music Camp, la amistad y el cariño con
el que me recibisteis y me acogisteis en
vuestras casas y que para mí han sido una de las
experiencias mejores que he tenido en mi vida.
|
2002 Recipients
Martxel
Tillous was born in 1934 in the Basque town of
Eskiula
in
Xiberoa. Following his calling he entered the
priesthood and began work as a missionary for 26
years in
Africa
. Returning
to
Europe
he served
four years as the Basque chaplain for the Basque
community of
Paris
from where he came
to the
United States
to serve as chaplain of
Basque-Americans since 1994.
Aita Martxel
is continuing in the footsteps of earlier Basque
chaplains, and he continues to fulfill an
important role in our Basque-American
community. His ministry as chaplain to the
Basques of the
United States
has him criss-crossing
the country averaging 60,000 miles a year! He
spends 200 nights a year sleeping in his
van—with the license plate “Pottoka”—as he
travels from his base in
San Francisco
,
California
to the scattered Basque
communities of eleven states of the American
West. All of this to serve the spiritual needs
of Basque-Americans—from celebrating mass in the
Basque language to baptizing, marrying Basque
couples and consoling us at funerals.
Our chaplain from Zuberoa is
being recognized for both his spiritual and
cultural contributions. An avid txistulari,
Aita Martxel is often seen and heard playing
this ancient Basque flute (or its variation the
xirula). Since being here, he has served
as the txistu instructor at NABOs annual
Udaleku-Music Camp (Basque Cultural Summer Camp)
for youth. After a Basque picnic meal he is
always there to join in a sing-along or to help
encourage the formation of new Basque cultural
venture. He also started a newsletter
(“Lokarria”) that goes out to thousands of
Basque-American families and thus further
assisting efforts to bring our community closer
together.
NABO salutes Aita Martxel’s
self-less dedication to his tasks and we
consider ourselves fortunate to have been
blessed with his presence among us.
Zorionak eta esker mila Aita
Martxel! |
Al
Erguiaga was born in
Boise
,
Idaho
in
1935 to Tomás Erquiaga and Anita Echevarria. He
grew up immersed in the Basque community, where
he learned to celebrate the culture and heritage
around him. When they were children on the
family's farm in
Meridian
, his father taught Al and his
sister, Alice, to dance by singing and clapping
for them. When he was old enough for Basque
dancing lessons, his father enrolled him in
Juanita "Jay" Hormaechea's class. It took a
while for Albert to feel comfortable dancing in
the class, but he came to love Basque dancing
after performing at several music festivals and
other events. Al went on to become a founding
member of the Boise Oinkari Basque Dancers in
1960. It soon became apparent that this was a
man who not only dreamed big Basque visions but
worked to make these dreams come true. He went
on to become a founding member of the Boise
Bihotzetik choir, the originator of the first
Jaialdi festival and first president of NABO.
What has this man not done is the
question when it comes to the promotion of
Basque culture. His efforts transformed the
Boise Basque community. Today the Oinkari are
synonymous with the city and the state; Jaialdi
is the single largest Basque event in the nation
and one of the largest outside of the Basque
country itself. The Bihoztik choir continues
its proud tradition of Basque song and Al is
always there lending support and his fine
voice. Al has certainly helped to positively
transform the Boise Basque community, but then
his pioneering efforts to create NABO also mark
him as a man of broader vision as well; his
efforts consolidated the creation of our
national Basque club federation in 1973 that
today serves as the reason we have all gathered
together to celebrate.
NABO salutes Al for his vision
and work to build places where we can come
together to share and celebrate our Basque
heritage. Zorionak eta
eskerrik asko Alberto! |
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