Basque immigrant sheepherders left their marks on aspen trees in the American West
Throughout the mountains of the American West, carvings hidden on the trunks of aspen trees tell the stories of the sheepherders who made them as they passed through with their flocks. Most of the men who etched these arborglyphs ...
Our experience of documenting arborglyphs—"lertxun-marrak" in Basque—has deepened over time. At first, we simply tried to decipher what was on the tree. It can be hard to tell what is scarred bark and what is a carving. Gradually, we got better at deciphering the carvings and now hope to spot the oldest and most ornate.
We also came to appreciate the different styles and themes, like in signatures and writing. One herder carves his name, the date and his hometown; another delves into politics; and another carves a hoped-for female companion.
Viewing the decades-old carvings, we're surrounded by the quiet and solitude of the high mountain range, whether in the Sierra Nevada, Ruby Mountains or Sawtooth Mountains. We literally stand in the footsteps of the herder who created the arborglyph.
These herders left their marks on the aspens, and now weare partof aresearch collaboration that aims to document and catalog as many of their arborglyphs and the experiences they record as possible before they disappear. About 25,000 arborglyphs have been documented over time, and there are likely at least as many more left to be recorded before they're lost.
Carvings made over decades by Basque herders are endangered as their canvas, the aspens, are at risk. Sawtooth Mountains, 2011. Credit: Idaho Basque Arborglyphs Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Albertsons Library, Boise State University
Nudes are a frequent theme among Basque tree carvings. Credit: Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe Lertxunmarrak Collection, Jon Bilbao Basque Library, University of Nevada, Reno
A variety of animals are represented, including birds and mammals. Credit: Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe Lertxunmarrak Collection, Jon Bilbao Basque Library, University of Nevada, Reno
The same bird as in the previous picture, here captured by Jean Earl in a rubbing in the 1970s. Credit: Philip I. and Jean Moore Earl Basque Aspen Art of the Sierra Nevada Collection, Jon Bilbao Basque Library, University of Nevada, Reno