The traveling version of Amerikanuak! is an offshoot of a larger exhibit created by the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. The High Desert Museum also created a smaller traveling exhibit for the Basque Museum & Culture Center to send out to other institutions and area events. This traveling exhibit tells the story of Basques in the American West. It discusses many of the most important aspects of Basque culture, beginning with who the Basques are and where they come from. Once the Basques arrived during the California gold rush in 1848, things became overcrowded, forcing many Basques into the High Desert region. The story of Basques in the High Desert is one of sheepherding men and Basque hotels where hearing a familiar language and eating a familiar food could make all the difference in the world to a Basque immigrant.
Amerikanuak! is available to travel to institutions or events, please contact the Museum for more information.