TXIKIAK HANDI SMALL IS GREAT

WHAT IS IT?

Txikiak Handi (Small is Great) is an ongoing project from Nafarroa Oinez’ which was created to proclaim the importance of the world’s minority languages and to establish ties between these languages.

The celebration of Nafarroa Oinez is a great opportunity to spread awareness of our language and culture throughout the multilingual world and to claim the right of all languages to be respected.

Txikiak Handi, by means of its manifesto, seeks signatures from people and entities that sustain and support the normalization of minority languages to protect them, vindicate their legality and claim their right to be used at all social levels.

For more information visit: http://www.txikiakhandi.com/en/

INDEX

We will try to clarify the following concepts:

Basque language

Basque Country

Ikastola - Schools

Nafarroa Oinez - Festival

Txikiak Handi - Project

Basque language, Euskara

Isolated language- no genealogical relationship with other languages (like Korean, for example)

Pre-indoeuropean- Indo-european languages (around 429 in total) include most major current languages in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent (for example, English, French, Spanish and Polish). Pre-indoeropean languages were spoken before the arrival of indo-european languages. Together with Basque, for example, Finnish, Hungarian and Estonian are pre-indoeuropean.

Origin: unknown, some experts state it is the oldest language in Europe.

Speakers nowadays: around 714.000

Basque Country, Euskal Herria

Land of Basque language is what Euskal Herria means word-for-word

Population: 3.103.198

No official status, it is divided between Spanish and French territories

7 regions- 3 in French territory, 4 in Spanish territory

7 REGIONS

3 In French territory:

LAPURDI

BEHE-NAFARROA

ZUBEROA

4 in Spanish territory:

GIPUZKOA NAFARROA

BIZKAIA

ARABA

STATUS OF BASQUE LANGUAGEOFFICIAL: Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Araba.PARTIALLY OFFICIAL: Nafarroa.NOT OFFICIAL: Lapurdi, Behe Nafarroa, Zuberoa.

Nafarroa-Background 1970s

Ikastola are created. Ikastola is the name for autonomous schools where all subjects are taught in Basque.

1981

Government cuts economic support to Ikastola, so “Nafarroa Oinez” festival is organized for the first time.

1986

Law divides Nafarroa into 3 linguistic areas: Basque area (northern part, Basque is official), Mixed area (central part, Basque is co-official), non-Basque area (southern part, Basque is not official).

2014

Currently there are 15 Ikastola in Nafarroa (101 in the Basque Country)

2015/10/18

Nafarroa Oinez will be celebrated in Baztan Ikastola, our Ikastola. Baztan is our county.

Baztan

15 villages, around 9.000 inhabitants

Ikastolen Elkartea>Nafarroako Ikastolen Elkartea

Baztan Ikastola, as all Ikastola, belongs to “Ikastolen Elkartea”, which is the Association of all Ikastola in the Basque Country. This association has a regional branch, which is Nafarroako Ikastolen Elkartea (Association of Ikastola in Nafarroa). This Association, Nafarroako Ikastolen elkartea, coordinates Nafarroa Oinez festival every year, even if it is organized and celebrated in a different Ikastola each year.

Our Ikastola, Baztan Ikastola

Nafarroa Oinez - festival- Where: it is organized in a different place, by a different Ikastola, each year. - Goal: to promote Basque language and to get economic support for the

Ikastola that is organizing the festival.

- How: A 6-7km walking tour is designed. This tour connects the 5-6 areas that will host all events. For example, in the youth area there will be concerts, in the kids area there will be games, in the school area there will be institutional events (for example, who will host Nafarroa Oinez the following year is announced).

- How long/who: all day long, from 10am to 8pm (approx.) and it is open to general public, it usually gathers around 100.000 people.

- Apart from the day of the festival, activities with the same purpose are organized throughout the whole year. Txikiak Handi project comes in here.

Click on our logo to watch a short video about 2014 edition of Nafarroa Oinez

Txikiak Handi - project SCHOOL COOPERATION

Priority: to design a calendar for a cultural Basque-Kashubian exchange in schools. We decided those will be the 4 Basque topics we want our students to share with kashubian kids. Now it is up to you to decide which are the kashubian topics. We will send more detailed information on how we want to work on them, which activities we suggest, in the following days.

RADIO COOPERATION REPRESENTATIVE EVENT

The day Nafarroa Oinez will be celebrated, Txikiak Handi project will host a short event that represents the Basque-Kashubian cooperation. We have to decide what will be that short event.

Dec-Jan February March-April May-JuneKashubian Gwiozdor -

ChristmasStolem Legend Jastra - Easter Kaszebscze Abecadło

Basque Olentzero- Basque Christmas

Orakunde- day celebration for kids.

Korrika-running around the Basque Country to promote Basque language.

Bertsolaritza- unique feature of Basque culture, improvised singing poetry.