On one occasion I had a superb meal at a Basque-owned hotel in Winnemucca, including lamb, potatoes, and fresh bread, as I recall. This card looks to be from around the heyday of the Rat Pack, although they would more likely have been spotted in Vegas.
I didn't know there were Basques in America. From http://www.winnemucca.nv.us: "In Winnemucca, the Basque culture is very prominent. The annual festival in June hosts a variety of traditional Basque games; including weight carrying, wood chopping, and Jota dancing. Groups of dancers from around the region gather to perform traditional dances that celebrate their culture and passion for life.
ReplyDeleteWinnemucca is home to the highest Basque dining opportunities per capita in the region. Meals are generally served family style with numerous side dishes. Don’t forget the famous Picon Punch, which is an alcoholic drink. It is not to be missed! Basque hotels can be found throughout Northern Nevada. Originally, many of these hotels served as winter homes for Basque herders. Today, they serve as social hot spots across the Great Basin, where Basque food and drink are a highlight for most travelers and locals alike."
Thanks for the material, Rob. There are Basques in Oregon, Idaho, and other places in the U.S., as well as in Nevada. The U.S. military also employed Basques as code talkers to some extent in World War II (along with the better-known Navajo code talkers and other groups).
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Basques were employed as code talkers (the Navajos are well known indeed). The Basque language is a very peculiar non-indo-european language, not related with all other known still existing languages.
DeleteI just looked up a little information on the Basque language upon your mention, and it is indeed an anomaly and a mystery. The U.S. military utilized Basque code talkers only briefly in World War II: http://nativeamerican.lostsoulsgenealogy.com/codetalkers.htm.
ReplyDelete