Reclaiming Basque ─ Language, Nation, and Cultural Activism

The Basque language, Euskara, is one of Europe’s most ancient tongues and a vital part of today’s lively Basque culture.Reclaiming Basque examines the ideology, methods, and discourse of the Basque-language revitalization movement over the course of the past century and the way this effort has unfolded alongside the simultaneous Basque nationalist struggle for autonomy. Jacqueline Urla employs extensive long-term fieldwork, interviews, and close examination of a vast range of documents in several media to uncover the strategies that have been used to preserve and revive Euskara and the various controversies that have arisen among Basque-language advocates.

Jacqueline Urla is professor of anthropology and the director of the Modern European Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has published numerous articles and essays on the Basque culture and language, and is the coeditor ofDeviant Bodies: Critical Perspectives on Difference in Science and Popular Culture.