Indigenous Groups in France

The indigenous people in France would be the Basque people. They generally inhabit an area originally known as the Basque Country. It is a region set in between north-eastern Spain and south-western France. They therefore have a history intertwined with the Spanish as well as the French. On the other hand, the original of the Basque people has always been a mystery. There are many theories on the Basque people, but none of them has been generally accepted. The Basque language is also a one-of-a-kind, as it is branded an isolated language with no connection to other living languages. The Basque language is so exclusive that even not everyone with Basque blood in them can speak the language.

Modern Day Basque People

Olden Day Basque People

According to the book 'The Basque History of the World' (New York: Penguin Group, 2001), the Basque people has a trait that we should all learn from. That trait is that they have the capability to conserve their past memories and heritage while continuously progressing in the world. This allows the Basque to widen their cultural heritage. An example would be the gold-rush days in the 1800s. There were a group of Basque who immigrated to the Northern Nevada area in the hope of striking gold. After they came to the realization that it was extremely difficult to find any gold, they came to their senses and went into sheepherding. Over the years, sheepherding has gradually lost its potential to reap profits. They then again moved on with their lives and went in search of other job opportunities. Even though they had left their sheepherding jobs, they still remember it and celebrated over the era of this history.

 

Basque Sheepherder






Gold Rush in Nevada