We Basques move our feet behind the witness of Korrika to proclaim that we want to survive as a Basque people in favor of our language, with the aim of the Basque Country we desire.

The tipi-tapa is the first step taken by a migrant person who leaves his homeland in Africa, South America or Asia, shamelessly, in order to reach the so-called "first world", in search of a future of survival.

And the tipi cap, but this time, trembling, full of fear and uncertainty, risking their lives, these people take their steps to be able to enter Europe in an effort to overcome walls and wire barriers; or when they put their feet in the skate trying to cross the sea, not knowing if at the end of the journey they will be able to put their feet back on the tipi cap.

When it comes to the issue of migration, although it has almost no mention, many of these people are originally speakers of minority languages; most of them are participants in linguistic communities in the process of extinction. In fact, the same colonial subjugation that for centuries has caused the degradation of their material living conditions has also caused the personality and linguistic subjugation of their peoples. For centuries, just as the riches of their lands have been plundered, so have their natural languages been trampled on in the Glotonite linguistic substitution that continues today. The Basques have suffered the same punishment and violence that we have suffered in our skins, now those speakers of linguistic minorities who are coming to us and their ancestors.

The Basques are well aware of the effects and consequences of the colonization of empires. If not, what is the origin of the Basque diaspora that we idealize today, if the majority are not descendants of Basques who had to flee from famine, poverty and war? There were thousands of Basques who didn’t have food on the farm and took the road to America. As there were thousands, fleeing the repression of the French Revolution, the Carlist Wars or the war of 1936, they crossed the sea. They, the Tipi-tapa, had to leave their homeland never to return, making these Basques also migrants. That they carried within them the same fears and uncertainties as the people who today come to us fleeing poverty and wars.

Since we, too, have been oppressed and condemned to migration, we know very well what are the glotocidal colonizers and what are the migrants; what are the threats and what are the challenges that the Basque language poses; what are the states or political forces that seek the disappearance of the Basque language and who come to our country to live with us; even who are willing to learn our language if we facilitate and accompany them in it. We understand that immigrants are not enemies.

That is why we Basques will not allow any "Basque fascism" to take root in our country. In the face of those who supposedly oppose migrant people to support the Basque language, we will stand firm. Fascism is always fascism, even if it is "Basque".

"Tipi Tapa, Run!" We were shouting in March of last year that we were crossing the Bridge of Santiago with several migrants among us, crossing together the imposed border that divides our country. Being an initiative that particularly impresses the Basque people, the fact that we took advantage of this last edition to carry out this type of solidarity initiative gave us added pride.

On Sunday, September 26, we will cross the same border again, this time in solidarity with both the members who will be judged for their participation in this initiative and all the migrant people. Because when we fight against the oppression of the Basque language, we are fighting against all oppression. As the song says, “If you are hungry, you will not be satisfied, you will be bound anywhere and you will not be free.”

Irati Areitio, Luken Etxabe, Sugoi Etxarri, Intz-Gurrutxaga
and Ibon Leibar