[1] The local topography, notably including deep valleys, allows for quality sound transmission, with a usable range of over 2 kilometres (1.2 miles).

[1] The inhabitants of the area therefore began using a whistled transposition of the Gascon dialect of the Occitan language as a means of communicating between the pastures and the village, or from one part of a valley to another.

[2][3] After being informed of the practice, René-Guy Busnel [fr], acoustician and directeur d'études (university educator) at the École pratique des hautes études,[4] documented the whistled language in 1950.

[5] The Lo siular d'Aas association, the regional council, the UPPA and the middle school (collège) in Laruns support the preservation of the language with bilingual classes taught in French and Occitan.

[8] An interactive map created for the exhibition allowed guests to explore the Occitan area and hear the names of villages in the whistled language.