Homepage    History    Links    Religious Aspects     Photos    St. Ignatius in Boise    Costume Disclaimer    Members   Contact Us St. Ignatius in Boise Boise and Oñati have shared an special relationship dating back to the 1970s.  At that time, a group of American educators sought to establish a studies abroad program somewhere in the Basque country.  They established links with Oñati, secured facilities, and under the direction of the late Dr. Pat Bieter, a group of American college students made their way there to inaugurate a studies abroad program.  It was later subsumed under the auspices of the Studies Abroad Consortium.  Click here if you would like to learn more about this study opportunity.   Banakoa in St. John's Cathedral Basque-Americans enjoyed a special opportunity to experience Euskal Herria and many friendships developed over the years in Oñati.  From this experience we became acquainted with the Korpus dantzak.   Initially, a handful of Boise Oinkari  began to learn some of these dances with Jesus Alcelay, a Korpus dantzaria who moved to Boise from Oñati.  Others learned portions while on the program in Oñati and dancing with the town's Oñatz dance group.  The acquisition of a film with all the dances enabled the dancers to begin in earnest.  Mr. Alcelay loaned his costume as a pattern, and Begoña Ysursa made the initial costumes for the group.44   The first official "performance" came at the 1979 NABO Convention in San Francisco.  Some dancers had learned a bit of the castanets and the martxa, so they put on the costumes and practiced during the parade that opened the festival that wound through the streets of downtown San Francisco.45  Not until the following summer of 1980 at the Elko Basque Festival would the group perform the whole cycle.  Then later that summer, they repeated the performance at the Boise Basque festival.  These dances have been performed almost every year since then.46   Boise's txistulariak Slowly there developed a deeper appreciation for the special dances, and they were eventually set aside almost only for the St. Ignatius liturgy to preserve their unique and meaningful character.  Click here to read about the liturgical significance of the dances. Apart from a few performances at Basque festivals,47 and at the funeral mass of longtime Oinkari group musician Domingo Ansotegui, the dances have been reserved.  Then in the summer of 1985 the dancers agreed to form an alumni association, to ensure that these dances--and their special character--endured.  It was agreed that this group would seek to perform the Korpus dantzak annually at the Boise Basque mass.  They are special dances because of their long history and their religious significance, and the hope is to sustain their unique character well into the 21st century.  At last count, almost forty men have worn the skirt over the last 15 years.48  Now every year the dancers get together a few days before the festival to rehearse. Rehearsal Dinner The Basque mass of St. Ignatius is usually celebrated Saturday afternoon, in the middle of the festival weekend.  The Boise Euzkaldunak Inc. adopted a three-day format that inaugurates the festival Friday evening.  Then Saturday afternoon, all are invited to a special gathering on The Grove in downtown Boise.  Guests can enjoy Basque music, song, dance and cuisine as they visit with friends in a relaxed atmosphere.  Then the activity moves to St. John's Cathedral.  Dancers assemble to walk in procession with the statue of St. Ignatius.  Upon arrival at the front of the church, the statue is brought forward and the dancers perform the kontrapas.  All then move inside as the Basque liturgy commences.  At the moment of consecration, the dancers assemble around the altar to perform the Banakoa.  Immediately following the liturgy outside the church, the dancers conclude with the arku dantza.  The evening concludes with a night of dancing at the Boise Basque Center.  Sunday morning, the Basques gather with their family and friends for their traditional picnic at a local park, and then again at the Basque Center to conclude the weekend with a street dance.49 The Boise Basque mass, now celebrated in St. John's Cathedral, moved there from the city park on Sunday morning.  The park did not lend itself well to the celebration of the liturgy, and the move to St. John's proved to be a "godsend" for the dancers.  With the renovation that placed the wide based altar in the center, it seemed that it had all been prepared with the dancing in mind.50  Click here to read about the Boise setting. Arku in front of St. John's The Boise Basque mass is still evolving.  The Boise Basque community long ago selected Ignatius as their patron saint, and set his feast day of July 31 as their festival weekend.  The procession to the church developed when we gained access to the use of a statue of St. Ignatius from a Jesuit parish in Portland, Oregon.  They were kind enough to loan it to us for several years, and it added a needed dimension to a liturgy aimed to commemorate the feast of St. Ignatius.  Then in 1986, the Oinkari purchased a statue of St. Ignatius for the Basques of Boise, and they dedicated it to their longtime musicians, Jim Jausoro and the late Domingo Ansotegui.  When not used for the festival mass, it is displayed in the Basque chapel at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boise.      The statue of St. Ignatius in Boise Zumalde is correct when he states that one must travel to Oñati on the feast of Corpus to see the dances in their element.  We can never hope to recreate that same magic here; some question whether we should even endeavor.  Yet centuries ago the people of Oñati responded to a call to create a new religious holiday--a besta berri.  Making use of the materials on hand, they fashioned perhaps Euskadi's most unique celebration of Corpus Christi.  We are indebted to the people of Oñati for the magnificent model that they have provided us.    Arku We--the Basques of Idaho--are now endeavoring to better identify the religious significance of our own Basque festival.  We are actively involved in the process of creating a new cultural expression, more firmly rooted in the traditions of the Basque country, reinforcing the religious aspect of our own festival weekend.  With the support of Idaho's Catholic clergy, our Idaho Basque community and friends, the Boise's Euzkaldunak, Inc., Oinkari Basque Dancers, Korpus Dantzariak, and Bihozetik Basque choir, the Boise Basque mass has developed into the premier Basque Eucharist celebration in the country.  As envisioned at its inception, the Boise Basque festival weekend now has St. Ignatius as its focal point.  He reminds us of our responsibilities, our special heritage, the commitment made by our ancestors who traveled to this new land, and to be thankful for our many blessings. Arku