This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 12, April 30-May 6, 2006
Indigenous
Internationally BY
CAESAR BEN BASAN A. BAROÑA © 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
It is a soothing feeling
that in the age of international migration, multiculturalism, the concept of
home being redefined continuously and the struggle of indigenous peoples
everywhere for their culture to be recognized and respected, one can find
comfort that one can be indigenous internationally.
Bulatlat
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia –
Even indigenous people cross international borders. My first reaction was “What?
An international meeting of Igorots in Australia?” The occasion was the 6th
International Consultation (IIC) headed by the Igorot Global Organization and
the venue was in Melbourne. Their theme was: “A more tolerant world through
cultural sharing.”
Igorot is a collective term for people who have their roots in the Cordillera
Region in Northern Luzon. The Igorot culture is a dynamic mix of indigenous ways
of living and Christian religious influence, a palette of highland culture and
being Filipino.
My reaction was not one of balking discrimination – though there is such in
Philippine society – but because my idea was that Igorot people were only
confined to the Cordilleras. But the Filipino Diaspora – the phenomenon
describing the mass exodus of Filipinos from dire conditions in the Philippines
to every corner of the globe – also includes Igorots. While one can make a
comment on the type of people who could afford to attend the event, it doesn’t
deviate from the reality that Igorots are also scanning the international
horizon for the perceived lack of opportunities in the Cordilleras. It is a
tribute to the continuing ties to the Cordilleras that Igorots all over the
world gather to remember their ancestral land.
I have ancestry from the Cordilleras, you see, and the consultation provided me
an opportunity to get in touch with such roots. I surmise this is a feeling
shared by anyone with indigenous blood with a strong tradition and culture of
community and sharing.
So I got to cover the event
for an Australian community radio station. At the start I jived with a group of
Igorot youth from different parts of the world: from the Philippines, Australia,
New Zealand and the U.S. All of them would relate later how they regarded their
identity as a mixture of cultures, an integration of the old and the new.
While in the Philippines, the Cordillera Day was being celebrated, I was glad to
have been able to attend the 6th IIC if only to get in touch with people of the
same ancestry.
The first day’s mood was spiritual, as the national anthems of the Philippines
and Australia were followed by a welcome ceremony by an Australian Aboriginal
Elder of the Wurundjeri people. Joy Murphy started a smoking ceremony to invoke
spirits. The hotel venue may have done something to impede the ceremony, as
Murphy claimed that there was something wrong and the ceremony wasn’t going so
well.
Cultural presentations also greeted the delegates.
Igorots danced the
different versions of the gangsa and pat-tong, as distinguished by
the different provincial interpretations. Ifugao people, for example, would have
a different version of the dance ceremony from the people of Kalinga.
Aboriginal groups like the Mur Toong Ba Marndall or Thunder and Lightning
Dancers also didn’t fail to impress the audience with their renditions of
traditional dances that they claim to be an extension of traditional people’s
ways. The young men dancers are part of the Yorta Yorta and Gundindjmara peoples
in Victoria. The dancers had traditional body markings as a reminder of how
their ancestors fought and danced on the land before them. They believe their
ancestors are still watching over them.
There was a momentous minute when one of the Igorot dancers spontaneously asked
to gather with the Aboriginal dancers. He gave their jackets as a gesture of
brotherhood and solidarity. In return, the Aboriginal people gave them their
boomerangs.
In the following days, while at the same time that I was letting the atmosphere
of Melbourne seep in with walks through Victorian buildings, the sight of the
Yarra River, Federation Square, Melbourne trams and shops, the program of
activities highlighted the situation in the Cordilleras. Even though the group
was comprised of different sectors of the Cordilleran region – former government
officials, professionals, media, educators and students – their vision for the
progress of the Cordilleras binds them. Speakers talked about the negative
social impact of mining on the communities, the vanishing cultural heritage in
the context of tourism and the so-called globalization, the cultural effects of
migration, requirements for sustainable electric power distribution and supply
system and empowering indigenous communities through renewable energy. A
Caucasian philanthropist even decided to donate a considerable amount of
counterpart money for the effort, I suspect because he was inspired by the
continuous talk about Igorots having a spirit of community and sharing.
Workshops were also held to the enjoyment of the audience. The delegates learned
how to play the gangsa, how to sing the salidummay and how to make
tapuy, or rice wine.
One of the youth delegates who came from the U.S. was tasked to present the
perspective of Igorot youth. Fina Pengosro, from San Francisco, California, was
supported by other youth whom she asked to share the stage. The session provoked
vigorous discussions as the elders asked a few questions. What cropped up was
that the older generation had to better understand where young people are coming
from, given the generation gap and the different social and temporal contexts.
On the other side of the official conference room, a trade exhibit was held to
showcase the different handicraft products from the Cordilleras. I had the
chance to talk with some of those tending the stalls and found myself being
asked for advise on how to market their products in Australia and about
employment opportunities in the Land Down Under. This only reflected what they
expressed to be limited opportunities in the Philippines.
Having the occasion to
mingle with fellow Filipinos in a gathering is always a delight in any country.
The event was also special in being able to have a caressing reminder of a
culture I can be proud of. It is a soothing feeling that in the age of
international migration, multiculturalism, the concept of home being redefined
continuously and the struggle of indigenous peoples everywhere for their culture
to be recognized and respected, one can find comfort that one can be indigenous
internationally. Bulatlat