There are the seven historical territories that comprise "Euskal Herria" or the land of the Basques in western Europe.  But arguably there are more people of Basque descent who live outside the homeland in the Diaspora.  But there's no motto that embraces this last group--is it time we created one?

Zazpiak Bat is a motto coined by the Basque explorer Antoine-Thomson d'Abbadie in the nineteenth century, from the Basque words zazpiak meaning "the seven ones" and bat meaning "one", translates as "the seven ones [are] one" and refers to the seven Basque Country traditional provinces.  [Note that while there are seven regions, there are only six emblems because Nafarroa & Benafarroa share the same one.]

For the 21st century do we not need an updated motto?  Many people of Basque descent live outside the Basque Country in the Basque Diaspora.  However, they are not usually associated with most Basque references; "zazpiak-bat" only references the seven historical regions.  How about if we add one more and include ourselves?  Zortziak-Bat adds one more to make it eight.  This does not, however, take away from identifying the centrality of the Basque homeland. Our story will always be connected to the homeland, but we have more chapters than that now.

This name and the concept would be readily understood by most Basques, thus requiring less translation and/or explanation and we could make an effort to raise greater awareness of the Diaspora's connection with "Basqueness." 

+ = Zortziak Bat