Oregon Public Broadcasting

The largest Basque community outside of Spain happens to be in Boise, Idaho. Thousands of Basques immigrants came to Idaho, Oregon and Nevada beginning in the late 1800s to work mainly as sheepherders.

Now every year, Basque descendents from around the Northwest and beyond gather in Boise to share their culture. Sadie Babits reports from the Boise Basque Festival.

There's an entire city block in downtown Boise dedicated to the Basques. This weekend thousands of people came here to eat a chorizo or two and take in traditional music and dance.

Jill Aldape: “ Boise is a special place because there are so many Basque people who appreciate a lot of the same things the language, the music, and the traditions.”

That's Jill Aldape. The Basque dancer started learning the steps when she was two years old. Aldape says most people don't know who the Basques really are.

Jill Aldape: “In a lot of places in the world, I think the Basque culture is identified with ETA the terrorist group.”

This year's Basque Festival comes on the heels of a bombing campaign in Spain last week that left two police officers dead. Spanish authorities blame the terror group ETA.

Aldape says it's unfortunate because ETA is not what the Basque culture is all about.

She says festivals like the one in Boise give a much better picture. In recent years there's been a revival in celebrating Basque history and traditions.

Basque centers and clubs have opened throughout small town Idaho, in Ontario, Oregon and another in Seattle.