“Walking through the Washington DC National Mall, between the obelisk and the Washington Monument, a stone lifter suddenly appears. Then you see some men playing shovel in the pediment; beyond, some guys with paddles and traineras, some women weaving fishing nets, there is a real farmhouse recently built… The surprise tide and squeeze the heat; in a corner they offer pintxos, txakoli and idiazabal cheese to taste and sweat a little more. Euskadi is the first region in southern Europe to have been invited to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.” The first paragraph of the chronicle published last Thursday by journalist Jordi Barbeta in the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia described the cultural offer that the Basque Autonomous Community has brought to the United States as a costumbrista painting of the 19th century.

The place that the Smithsonian festival has given to the Basque theme has also sparked some debate in the Basque Country. The criticisms have been of two kinds: This year Oier Araolaza has published an article on Dantzan’s website at the Smithsonian Folklife festival in which he disclaims his folklore. As he criticized, all the themes of the Basque tradition that appear in the programme have been joined by words such as "new", "modern" or "contemporary", unlike other invited cultures. “The Japanese don’t have to prove to anyone that they are a people of the 21st century and are not claiming innovations, modern, etc. For example, they will offer the event ‘Japanese Buddhist Festival Traditions’.

Catalonia looks to the “future” in 2018

From another point of view, Bah-Ahal Dugu has also shown his discrepancies with the image of the Basque culture that the authorities have taken. They refused to send a representation to the festival and through a note they explained that they see with concern “the stereotyped and homogeneous image that can be disseminated about the Basque culture”. In addition, they have denounced that while the budgets for culture are being cut, the institutions maintain their “commitment to gigantic and solemn acts” and “that culture is used to bring economic benefit or attract tourism”, leaving “outside photography” expressions that do not serve this function.

In 2018 Catalonia has been invited to Smithsonian. In statements to La Vanguardia, the conseller of Culture of the Generalitat, Santi Vila, has stated that the use of culture for tourism purposes is "undeniable". But anyone who knows how to read between the lines will understand his view of what the Basque institutions have brought to the United States. “Very interesting” has seemed to him the programming of the Euskotarras, but he has made it clear: “Our exposure criteria will look more to the future than to the past.”