The Lonesome Trail: Arborglyphs and Basque Sheepherders in the Far West – Historical Research Center

The Lonesome Trail: Arborglyphs and Basque Sheepherders in the Far West

The Historical Research Center at the Walter Stiern Library on the Campus of California State University, Bakersfield RECEIVES GRANT AWARD FROM INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES.

(Bakersfield, Calif) – The Institute of Museum and Library Studies (IMLS) has announced the IMLS Inspire! Grants for Small Museums awards. The Historical Research Center at the Walter Stiern Library has been awarded $46,000 for its project titled “The Lonesome Trail: Arborglyphs and Bassque Sheepherder in the Far West.”

Many people in the far west are familiar with Basque culture through their unique cuisine and serving style in the few restaurants spread across the region and through festivals held in mostly rural parts of the state. However, few know Basque-American history. Scholars are only now becoming aware of the unique opportunities they now have to see the past communicated through arborglyphs (tree carvings left by Basque and Peruvian Sheepherders). The Basque arborglyphs are a window into the thoughts and creative impulses of a unique
immigrant community. The goal of the project is to share that communication and its meaning with a broader community. Various sources, such as Robert Laxalt’s, Sweet Promised Land, describe the ways in which the culture is misunderstood in the US. Much statistical and historical work on Basque and Basque-American culture has been compiled at the University of Nevada Reno’s Center for Basque Studies and is available for viewing online.

More specifically “The Lonesome Trail” will increase community engagement with the humanities through:

public lectures and community conversations
an interactive exhibit
outreach to students
outreach to community organizations

Key project collaborators include:

Donato Cruz (Processing Archivist and Research Analyst, Walter W. Stiern Library, CSU, Bakersfield)
Steve Gamboa (Interim Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities & Director of the Institute of Basque Studies)
Christopher Livingston (Director, Historical Research Center, Walter W. Stiern Library, CSU, Bakersfield)

According to Research Consultant Steve Gamboa, “Basque arborglyphs are both artifacts of great cultural significance and testimonials of endurance, memory, and identity. By supporting the archiving and exhibiting of these unique artistic creations, the IMLS grant helps to commemorate and celebrate the impact of Basque sheepherders on the American West.”

Programming will commence in 2024 and will include an interactive exhibit where three dimensional digital images of tree carvings on Aspen trees left by Basque sheepherders will be presented via touch screen digital monitors. The exhibit aims to weave the history of the Basque sheep herding trail within the context of the Basque diaspora.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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