Nevada’s Cultural Landscapes
Elko Euzkaldunak Club and Basque Nevada Heritage
Submitted by Susanne Kaime Reese with photography by Moira Smith and Susanne Reese
Scott Vgoa, owner of Elko’s Star Hotel Basque Dining, sees a trend in Basque cultural heritage in Nevada. He says the younger generations are expressing great energy and enthusiasm in sharing their cultural heritage, as expressed in sharing Basque language, folk tales, songs, music, and culinary traditions with their community in their American homeland.
Happy words to hear. I have been researching the artistic idea of the Salvage Paradigm for the past twenty years, through photo-documenting community celebrations and cultural gatherings. The story of Salvage Paradigm is an artistic reference to understanding and documenting the loss of knowledge about countries or cultures who have been dispersed by mightier civilizations throughout the history of Earth. But in this case, I am happy to report, the Basque people of Nevada will not allow their traditions to die.
Within both the arts and social sciences, multicultural awareness is prized. “The salvage paradigm” is an early 20th century anthropological term that describes the belief that it is necessary to preserve so-called “weaker” cultures from destruction by a dominant culture. It was felt that by coming into contact with the modern world, the authenticity of non-western cultures would be corrupted or totally lost. The folk tales and stories of generations of people, their history, medical and cultural knowledge should never be lost to time and modern development. The knowledge passed down generation to generation needs to be recorded, before it’s value is lost forever. We should never assume that new technology is more important than the knowledge of the past. History has much to teach us. Fortunately, the Basque culture has not let their heritage and traditions be forgotten. They’ve locally shown a long tradition of celebrating their values and the strength of their heritage. The Annual National Basque Festival in July was their 60th celebration of Basque heritage.
Moira Smith created a photographic documentation of the 2024 Basque gathering in Elko, Nevada. She keenly captures the admiration expressed on the faces in the crowd and the proud performers who’s sense of responsibility she depicts by their serious determination to perfect their performances. The youngsters carrying on the Basque traditions were determined to reflect their culture to the very best of their ability. These photographs by Moira Smith and myself are our tribute to the Basque people.
Moira Smith
National Basque Festival 2024
Featured Northeastern Nevada Artist
Pencil Paintings, Photography and Cultural Heritage
Moirasmith22@yahoo.com
Moira Smith is happiest when surrounded by nature. Exploring the natural world, and humaninteractions with it, is at the core of virtually all forms of her artwork.
Nature and our cultural landscapes are reflected in her outstanding photography, poetic artistic interpretations and detailed drawings. Moira looks forward to creating more art and experimenting with many mediums.
“I’ve always taken immense pleasure in the beauty of a perfectly composed and executed photograph or work of art, a song that gives me goose bumps, or immersing myself in a dramatic landscape. All roads eventually lead home to the Great Basin. I strive to achieve that same feeling, sense of balance and composition in my own work.”