Oroitzapenak Basque Oral History Project
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Date:  		 Bernard Etchemendy
William Douglass
Buffalo, Wyoming
1971

   Bernard Etchemendy

Bernard Etchemendy came to Buffalo, Wyoming in the early 1920s looking for fame and fortune. What he found was a Basque community perched on the edge of the Rockies. He joined his countrymen as a sheepherder, travelling the area around Buffalo all year. The landscape held many dangers; angry cattlemen, coyotes, extreme cold weather. These challenges, as well as the rewards for hard work and a strong community mindset, make Bernard's story a true western epic.

Read Interview Summary

 
Hear Interview (Audio Files in English)
Bernard's Voyage to America (5:01)
The Continuation of the Trip to Buffalo (9:34)
Struggles Between Cattlemen and Sheepherders (6:14)
Coyotes: the #1 Sheepherder Enemy (3:32)
Bernard's Outfit with Otegi (4:58)
He Finally Runs His Own Herd (4:47)
What Life Was Like in Buffalo (8:39)
More Buffalo Town Life (7:56)
The Basque Community in Buffalo (5:09)
What Businesses, Basques Are Left (5:33)
  
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