You've known that ARGIA is a hundred years old.

Yes, yes! I was told by the home assistant, who had heard it on Hala Bedi radio. Congratulations also to you!

Where do you have the origin of the commitment to the Basque Country?

It comes from a young boy. I've grown up in the ikastola, the Itxaropena de Trapagaran ikastola. My parents are not Basque, but I was directed to the ikastola. At the university, in Leioa, I could not study Dentistry in Basque. Since then, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, I am doing what I can. The truth is that you don’t listen in Euskera on the street, but also in the mining area, in my party… Therefore, I would say that it has been my personal challenge. I have always defended the Basque. I have two children, they are attending Euskera in the public school of the neighborhood and I tend to be part of the Euskera commission of the neighborhood.

You said that this is your challenge.

Yes, and I don't know for sure. Maybe I came up with the idea when I knew how the ikastola itxaropena came about. The parents who created the ikastola did not know Euskera, but carried the Basque in their heart. My father is native, my mother comes from outside, but from very small. Still, they were excited to be able to teach us in Euskera.

What is the presence of Euskera in your dental clinic?

We are trying to make it as present as possible. From staff. But it's not always easy. We do not consider it an emergency trait, but all of us here are Euskera speakers, except one, who is working on the Euskaltegi, I suppose he understands it, but he still does not know how to speak. The rest, we all speak in Basque, three dentists and five assistants.

Do the three dentists speak Basque?

Yes.

Ah!

We try to speak in Euskera, both on the phone and between us… However, it is not always possible, as there may be someone who does not know Euskera. In the sector, on the other hand, meetings, congresses, seminars, days and so on are held in Spanish, and in Donostia-San Sebastián, Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz or whatever.

What are the difficulties to work in Basque?

I'd say I don't have a hard time at the dental clinic. It is different in terms of suppliers. Some are Euskaldunes, some are Castellanoparlantes. When we have to resort to the Pasaia supplier, for example, we know that we cannot speak in Basque. Another supplier is La Rioja, but Vasco, Gernika, is the one who sells. For the rest, with those outside here, of course, we have to do it in Spanish. With the banks, on the other hand, with some in Basque, with others in Spanish.

Like everyone, therefore.

Yes, yes. I once again made a complaint in the Akuilari app, on the Basque phone. We worked, among others, with Osakidetza, in the Children's Dental Care Program. Every year we have to renew that contract, and we always receive all the sheets in Spanish! It's Osakidetza! A public entity! I talked to both of them, and I wrote a complaint in the app, and they took care of it. They rushed to answer. From now on, yes, they would send me all the sheets in bilingual, and they thanked me for working for linguistic equality. That's being effective. They responded quickly, very positively.

Is personal attitude, individual commitment, enough for the Basque Country to move forward, for society to become Euskaldunice?

I, in general, am very positive in everything. But as far as Euskera is concerned, I am sorry, but not. I have two young children at home and there's no way. It gives me a lot of pain. Talk to parents from Bergara or the Basque area, and so on. Their children do it in Spanish. My sister lives in Mungia, and so does. It is possible that there you hear more Euskera on the street than in Vitoria, but not much. Children attending the clinic are asked in Basque and answered in Spanish. You might not expect me to do it in Euskera, or you might have difficulty doing it in Euskera. I don't know. For me, however, it is exhausting.

Fatigued, you say.

Very exhausting. Ask a 12-year-old when he was born and doesn't know how to say the month in Basque, doesn't know how to say the day correctly: “How old are you?” and “Seven,” answer. “How much?”, “Seven.” “Oh, you don’t learn Basque at school!”, “Yes, yes! Seven.” Like that! I don't know what world you're moving in, but it's tired to walk like that day after day. And every child knows Euskera. Or worse, you ask the child in Basque, the child does not answer him and the mother tells him in Spanish: “Maybe I didn’t understand you, go to a trilingual school.” And I said, “Trilingual! More reason to know Basque!” We will leave trilingual education aside, because I do not believe in that, but the Basque is exhausting.

That is the situation, that of every day.

I do not know whether it is the responsibility of public institutions, or ours. I don't know what to do. So let's celebrate a Euskera festival at the ikastola, people will meet, parents and students, but, speaking in Euskera? Nobody.

What place does the Basque want in this society?

We have been working for the Basque people for many years. The Basque Government was created a long time ago, students have been learning Basque… People know Basque, but I do not know what level they have. But people don’t talk, because we have easy access to Spanish, because we always think that this doesn’t know Euskera, because we think we’ll upset him by talking in Euskera… That the phone rings, that takes him and I: “Dance, yes, good morning!” and on the other hand: “Good morning...” You have to do it in Spanish! In most cases that is the case. From time to time, someone responds to your greeting in Basque. The place of the Basque Country, you asked me, and I think it is time, time, for the Basque country to be much more present in society, both in Vitoria and in Trapagaran.

How does Euskera see in Vitoria-Gasteiz in general?

There are more people who know Euskera than they speak. To begin with, I do not listen to the Basque. I thought that after Euskaraldia the Basque would turn on, that we would know who does it and who doesn't, but what. To listen, because people from Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia live in Vitoria-Gasteiz. That's what I think. From here there is a pharmacy, Agirre Lekue, and since the service was opened in Euskera, always. In the neighborhood, in the civic center of Ibaiondo they also speak in Basque, yes, but to me that seems essential. So it is over!