Indigenous Internationally

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.

BY CAESAR BEN BASAN A. BAROÑA
Bulatlat

IIC delegates in a workshop on indigenous musical instruments PHOTO BY CAESAR BEN BASAN A. BAROÑA

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 

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