One of the most telling marks of mastery is the apparent ease with which an artist approaches his or her craft—the willingness with which the material complies with their hand, chisel, brush, or hammer to form the objects we admire.

Amuma Says No is a Basque American band based in Boise, Idaho.

Sheltering from the hot sun at the Frontoia on the National Mall, the Aukeran Dance Company graced the Arts and Industries stage at the 2016 Folklife Festival.

As visitors stream into the Euskaltegi Speaking Basque tent, quickly filling the long brown benches, Errukine Olaziregi hops onto the stage and unhooks the microphone from its stand.

It was the very last concert of the 2016 Folklife Festival, and the Basque folk rock band Korrontzi was performing on the Ralph Rinzler Concert Stage.

Environmentalists, activists, educators—the Arrow-weeds are a force. They protect the sacred sites and desert ecosystem of their ancestral lands, the lower Colorado River region, through successfully protesting the creation of mines and turbines.

At the 2016 Folklife Festival, I had the pleasure of seeing and meeting Aukeran, a Basque dance company from Donostia-San Sebastian that performs contemporary pieces inspired by traditional Basque styles.

What performances or demonstrations at Folklife Festival did you enjoy the most? What brought you to the Festival? Did any of the programming remind you of your own cultural traditions or personal experiences?

Traditional food tells a sensory history of Basque country that is unique and integral to the culture. Family recipes are persevered and passed down through the generations.

Throughout the first week of the 2016 Folklife Festival, the rhythmic clang of bells frequently echoed down the National Mall as the Joaldunak marched along paths, between tents, and, on one occasion, around the Washington Monument.