Miren Rementeria Artiach - Bizi Emankorra
Presentation of the Bizi Emankorra to Miren Artach in Boise, Idaho
The President of NABO, Philippe Acheritogaray, presented the Bizi Emankorra award last Saturday in Boise to Miren Artiach, a local Basque activist, and Todor Azurtza supported and emphasized the award in bertsos/verses.
The event was held in the Boise’s Basque Center, with the participation of NABO’s management and delegates, in conjunction with Euzkaldunak’s annual mortzilla dinner and bingo. Bizi Emankorra is the highest honor given by NABO, awarded to people who have excelled throughout their lives in favor of Basque people, Basque culture and especially North American Basque Organizations, Inc.
When presenting the award, Philippe Acheritogaray highlighted Miren (Rementeria) Artiach’s generous trajectory and presented her with the 2021 Bizi Emankorra (Janet Carrica Inda from Reno was also honored in the 2021 edition of this award. Then Miren said a few words of gratitude. To round it off, Todor Azurtza sang bertsos to the award recipient. Watch the entire sequence in the video above.
Event: Philippe Acheritogaray, Miren Artiach and Todor Azurtza; helping on the microphone, Mike Franzoia
These are Miren (Rementeria) Artiach’s words after receiving the award:
"I am the daughter of a woman who was held for 22 months as a political prisoner in the Basque Country. I was born eleven days after she got to Boise. She also remembered her father with love: "My father was from a small village in Bizkaia, Nabarniz, and told me I always reminded him of the flowers there."
Miren also wanted those gathered to "know that we are so very fortunate in this area to have a great number of Basque people, and most of us we nurture what we love".
She spoke modestly about her merits: "Everything that I have been involved in was something that made me so very happy, and others benefitted from that, that is the only reward." She also expressed a final thought: "I hope that we have created enough fire in our younger generations that they will follow in our footsteps because everybody along the way has made great sacrifices for us to continue and to honor who we are."
The ceremony ended with the following bertsos of gratitude sang by Todor Azurtza:
Miren Artiach we have
a very large debt with you
after all the hard work you have done in America
supporting the Basque language and culture (=euskalgintza)
thanks for keeping
our treasure alive
you have deservedly received
NABO's Bizi Emankorra.
I am disheartened
because we are losing Euskara (Basque language)
let's save our language
this is my plea
our challenge is having the younger generations take your relay, Miren,
so our ancestors’ heritage and example
may live long.
A big thank you to Miren, as well to Janet, and to Philippe, Todor and all those who made this possible at NABO, as well as to the Basque Clubs in Homedale, Ontario and Boise and to those who help and support the Basque community.
NABOk Bizi Emankorra saria eskuratu zion Boisen Miren Artiach-i
Boise, Idaho, AEB. NABOko lehendakari Philippe Acheritogaray-k Bizi Emankorra saria eskuratu zion joan den larunbatean Boisen Miren Artiach bertako ekile euskaldunari, eta Todor Azurtzak bertsotan lagundu eta azpimarratu zuen. Ekitaldia, hiriko euskal etxean egin zen, federazioko zuzendaritza eta delegatuak partaide, Euzkaldunak-en urteroko mortzilla afariarekin bat. Gogoratu, Bizi Emankorra NABOk ematen duen ohorerik handiena dela, bizitza osoan euskaldunen, euskal kultura eta komunitatearen alde bizitza oso batean gailendu diren pertsonei emana.
Saria eman aurreko hitzetan, Philippe Acheritogaray-k, Boisen bertan jaiotako Miren (Rementeria) Artiach-en ibilbide oparoa nabarmendu zuen eta Bizi Emankorrari, 2021eko edizioan, dagokion plaka eskuratu zion euskaltzale ezagunari [gogoratu iazko edizioan Renoko Janet (Carrica) Inda ere ohoratu zutela sari honekin]. Ondoren, sarituak esker oneko hitz batzuk esan zituen. Eta biribiltzeko, bertsoak eskaini zizkion omenduari Todor Azurtzak. Ikus sekuentzia osoa honako bideoan:
Ekitaldia: Philippe Acheritogaray, Miren Artiach eta Todor Azurtza; mikroan laguntzen, Mike Franzoia
Hauek Miren (Rementeria) Artiach-en hitzak plaka jaso ostean:
"Euskal Herrian 22 hilabetez preso politiko moduan egondako emakume baten alaba naiz; bera Boisera iritsi eta hamaika egunera jaio nintzen ni". Aita ere maitasunez gogoratu zuen: "Nire aita Bizkaiko herri txiki batekoa zen, Nabarniz-koa, eta beti esaten zidan nik hango loreak gogoratzen nizkiola". Eta hau baietsi nahi izan zien Mirenek bildutakoei: "Jakin ezazue zorte handia daukagula hemen hainbeste euskal jende izatearekin eta horrek gutako askori indarra eman digu".
Bere merituei buruz apal mintzatu zen: "Ni partaide izan naizen gauza horiek guztiak gustura egin ditut oso, eta beste batzuentzat ere onuragarriak izan badira, poz handia ematen dit". Azken gogoeta bat ere plazaratu zuen: "Pentsatu nahi dut aski su piztu ahal izan dugula gure belaunaldi gazteetan eta segituko dituztela gure urratsak, denboran zehar ibilbide honetan guztiek sakrifizio handiak egin baitituzte eutsi diezaiogun eta ohoratu ahal izan dezagun nor garen".
Ekitaldia Todor Azurtzak bertatik bertara bota zituen esker oneko bertso hauekin bukatu zen:
Miren Artiach zurekin dugu
oso handia den zorra
Ameriketan egin ondoren
euskalgintzan lan gogorra
eskerrik asko mantentzeagatik
bizirik gure altxorra
merezimenduz jasoa duzu
NABOren Bizi Emankorra.
Euskara galtzen ari gara ta
sortzen zait niri ernegua
gure hizkuntza salba dezagun
hau da nire erregua
gure erronka da gazteek hartzea
Miren zure errelebua
luzaro bizi dadin asaben
ondare ta eredua.
Mila esker handi bat Mireni, Janeti bezala, eta Philippe, Todor eta NABOn hau posible egin duten guztiei, baita ere Homedale, Ontario eta Boiseko euskal etxeei eta euskal komunitatean laguntzaile eta sostengatzaile direnei.
