tarbekultuur

Tarbekultuur is a physical and symbolic expression of remembrance and commemoration found in the Eiagarra valley of the Oyandoeta district in the Bidasoa River valley, within the Basque Country in Spain. Characterized by a series of plants or stones arranged together, these compositions of naturally occurring objects have been oftentimes attributed to an unknown activist group.

During a political crackdown in the 1960s and 1970s, which primarily targeted the separatist movement for the Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA) in the Basque Country, two Spanish police officers were killed in July 1977. Following the killings, several sticks arranged on the ground in one of the valleys were found, which subsequently evoked the term 'tarbekultuur'.

Tarbekultuur represents hidden forms of resistance within the Basque culture, for these seemingly innocuous arrangements of earthy materials evoke broader themes of revolt against autocratic systems. Interpreted through such stewardship as downplayed symbols, people visiting these areas continue to symbolically contemplate deep themes at play. Tarbekultuur also extends the familiar reality it seems to somewhat accept, rather suggests what seems established is precarious and require less standard strategies to carry actions forward.