- The Basque American Albert Erkiaga (Boise, 1935-2022) has been one of the major promoters of Basque dance and culture in Idaho and the United States. One of the founding dancers of the dance group Oinkari, the first director of the group and one of the drivers and organizers of the Boise Festivals, Al Erkiaga dies at the age of 87.
Al Erkiaga was a Basque born in Idaho. The Biscayan, his father Thomas, from Ispaster, traveled to America in 1920 to work as a pastor and there he married Anita Etxebarria, daughter of "Aldape Zarra" from Mallabia. Gaztea started dancing in Boise in dance classes taught by Juanita Jay Uberuaga. In 1960, seven young Basques from Boise traveled to Euskal Herria and for three weeks they met the country of origin of their parents. They related to the group of dances Oinkari de Pasaia and with them they began to learn to dance for two months and they danced in a group. Oñacinos told their American friends that upon returning to America they had to create a group of dances called Oinkari, and they did.
Oinkari, NABO, Jaialdi...
This is how the Oinkari dances group in Boise was born. Al Erkiaga and Diana Urresti were the first directors of Oinkari. In December 1960, he premiered at the Pastors' Dance. The reactions and emotions that triggered this first release led to Oinkari’s successful generational career. The spectators received the dancers with applause and screams, excited and wet eyes.
In the 1970s, Al Erkiaga, a member of the Basque Studies Center, participated in the process of creating the NABO (National American Basque Organization) and was the first president of that organization. In the 1980s, Erkiaga participated in the first organizational group that organized the Festival.