DESIGNING AN IKSP RESEARCH AGENDA WITH THE IPS: A BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE

Leonardo R. Estacio Jr., mph, phd U.P. Manila Sentro para sa Ganap na Pamayanan

BY WAY OF INVOKING THE SPIRITS

Bakin di Pitti

Panahon na naman ng pagsamba Kay Kabunian, anito at iba pang bathala Ang Ifugao ay bigla na namang ginambala Ng isang salot na di mawari kung saan mula Apo Mumbaki tayos magkanyaw Katayin ang mga manok at kalabaw At ialay sa kalagitnaan ng payaw Sakaling si Apo Pitti ay maawa At ang dulot na peste ay mawala

Sambitin na natin ang Tobotbal: Diyos naming Agiwana, Wigan Annigan, Buwit, Baguilat; Kasama ang mahal naming anitong si Pitti At sampu ng kanyang mga alagang aso na pinili

Ang aming mga alay naway tanggapin At ang mga pestey bugawin at tanggalin: Huwag lamang peste sa Kiyangan ang puksain Pati na rin ang mga salot sa ibang ili namin.

(Estacio, 1994)

OBJECTIVES
To share what IKSP is To share experiences and reflections in doing IKSP research :

What were the objectives? What methods were used? What lessons were learned?

IKSP DEFINED

Traditional or local knowledge embedded in the community and is unique to a given culture, location or society (MOST-CIRAN, 2005). Not western knowledge User-derived and not scientist-derived (Warren, 1994 in PHIRCSDIK-REPPIKA/IIRR, 1994:1)

Characteristics of Indigenous Knowledge (MOSTCIRAN, 2005):

IK is generated within communities; intergenerational IK is location and culture specific IK is the basis for decision making and survival strategies IK is not systematically documented ; time-tested IK is dynamic and based on innovation, adaptation, and experimentation IK is oral and rural (indigenous) in nature

What is IKSP

Biological, cultural and intellectual properties of IPs that refer to the sciences, technologies and cultural manifestations, including human and other genetic resources within the ancestral domain, including the derivatives of these resources, traditional medicines and health practices, vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals.. knowledge fauna and flora, oral traditions, literature, designs and visual and performing acts. (sec.34 & 35, IPRA)

Categories of IKSP
1. Health practices (health belief systems and practices, maternal childcare)

2. Ethno-ecological practices (identification and use of plants and animals) 3. Resource management practices (food collection, production and management practices) 4. Organizational and kinship systems 5. Belief systems (worldviews, rituals, life cycle) 6. Language, communication and learning systems (folk taxonomy, rite of passage) 7. Ethno-history (folklore, epics, creation myths) 8. Material culture (crafts and products) 9. Socio-political systems and institutions (political structure, governance, dispute and conflict resolution, customary law)

Value of IKSP
Basis for local decision-making in communities in the following sector (SciDev, 2005): Agriculture: crop biodiversity, intercropping, seed varieties, animal production and healthcare Biology: ethnobotanical/pharmaceutical research; fishbreeding techniques Natural resource management: water management and forest/soil conservation techniques Education: local languages and oral traditions Human health care: use of traditional medical knowledge and medicinal plant use

1.

Value of IKSP
2. Considered a key element of the social capital of the poor since it is an asset toward ensuring survival through food production and providing for shelter, as well as for achieving control over peoples lives (IKPages, 2005)

3. Way of life (if you dont practice it you lose it)

EXPERIENCES IN IKSP RESEARCH

CADC/CADT applications, biodiversity conservation projects, disaster management and mitigation, consultation workshops, fieldwork, program evaluation, etc.; Among various IP groups in Mindanao, Visayas, Luzon Also among non-IP groups (farmers and fisherfolks)

RESEARCH SETTING & OBJECTIVES

Set within the Ancestral Domains/IP Communities

CADC/CADT application Biodiversity conservation Cultural integrity/resilience/culture change AD development and sustainability (ADSDPP) Globalization/western knowledge

CULTURE CHANGE: LINTEKNOLOHIYA

Haiku sa Kuko ng Bundok Data

1. Gabi lumusob Pesteng nagkukumahog Repolyoy lasog 2. Tanghali nagising Kankanaey na nilasing Ng poot at gin 3. Hapon sumuka Ng dugot kaluluwa Mga uod, sinta (Mabuhay ang Thiodan at Endosulfan!)
(Estacio, 1995)

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
indigenous laws

rituals

technologies

IKSP

Selfdetermining or Death of a culture?

folklores

Crafts and products

language

Philosophical and Theoretical Framework of IKSP

Land is sacred, land is life philosophy

Para sa aming mga Ayta, sagrado ang lupa. Ang lupa ang siyang ina kung saan sumususo ang lahat at siyang bumubuhay sa lahat ng nilikha-isda, hayop, tanim at tao Hindi basta-basta sinasaling o pinuputol ang mga halaman at kahoy dahil ito ay buhay na representasyon ng mga ninuno, ng mga ninunong namatay at naging abo o lupa na nagbigay sustansya sa mga kahoy at halaman kaya dapat sila igalang (Bagat, 1995 in Estacio, 1996:74)

Ecocentrism/Sustainable Ecosystems Approach Ang tao at ang kalikasan ay iisa [humans and nature are one]

RESEARCH METHODS & PROCESSES

FPIC
Rituals: consulting the spirits; consulting the elders/leaders/people; MOA: objectives (for whom/for what), agreements (role of researchers/informants, ethics, content, process, timeline, ownership/copyright, what goes to the public)

Capacity building for indigenous researchers

Ethnography (observation, interview, focus group, field notes) Archeology/museology Ethnohistory Visual ethnography Ethnolinguistics (emic terms, word list) Ethnobotany/zoology Survey/Demography, etc..

RESEARCH METHODS & PROCESSES

Data gathering/documentation Data analysis & interpretation (writeshop) Validation sessions (critiquing + add info) Final write-up/documentation Turn-over ritual of documents (textual, audio, visual) to the IPs or people Approval through FPIC of documents for policy implementation, program development and advocacy

LITERACY CLASS
Lakay Alboroc

Ang gulod ang kanyang sulatan Dito niya araw-araw inilililok ang kanyang pangalan Ang piko at pala ang kanyang lapis at borador Dito nakatitik ang mensahe niya sa mga taga-Banawen Hindi niya mabilang ang kanyang mga daliri Ang alam niyang bilangin: Kapirasong lupa, gasuntok na kanin Kaisa-isang asawa at kapiranggot na ani

LITERACY CLASS

Ngunit si Lakay Alboroc ay marunong magbasa Nababasa niya ang kahirapan sa Ka-Aytaan Alam niya ang alpabeto ng kumakalam na tiyan Ang inhustisiyang nakasulat sa mukha Ng kulot na nakamkam ang lupa Ng mayamang unat sa Banawen Bukas, dadalo uli si Lakay Alboroc Ng literacy class sa kanyang uma, Sa kanyang tahanan, sa kanyang diwa.

LESSONS LEARNED: IKSPS RELEVANCE & APPLICATION TO AD

Preservation and strengthening of cultural integrity or identity, ancestral domain sustainability, social justice and human rights and self-governance What are the external threats to cultural extinction and how can we address them? What IKSPs leads to cultural preservation, ethnic pride, AD security, poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation, etc.? How can we preserve, protect and transfer the IKSPs to the next generation? What IKSPs can be shared for advocacy, policy formation and program development?

DEATH OF A CULTURE?
Wala nang nagbabahag sa Baguio

Mapait ang sinapit ng marapait Sa walang humpay na pagkumpay Ng mga galamay ni Dalmeg Tinapyas ng metalikong karit ang mukha, bituka at atay Ng lupang hinirang ng mga nakabahag Wala na ngang nagbabahag sa Baguio Maliban sa Botanical Garden at Mines View.

THREATS TO CULTURAL EXTINCTION

Clash with Western Knowledge Systems De-indigenization processes/Mainstreaming of IP cultures

Migrant settlers dominant culture Media Formal education Religion Technology Capitalism/globalism Ethnic discrimination Ethnocide

2 clashing knowledge systems

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Western knowledge systems:

Holistic (way of life) Culture-bound (diverse) Ecocentric (communing with nature)

Hegemonic (way of control) Class-based (elitist);pro-West Anthropocentric (humans 1st)

Protects biodiversity
Invokes land is sacred, land is life Protects non-renewable energies Disappearing knowledge systems Advocates traditional medicine or ethnomedicine

Destroys biodiversity
Invokes land could be exploited and owned, land is capital Exploits non-renewable energies

Dominant knowledge systems

Advocates biomedicine

STRATEGIES FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Cultural resilience Re-indigenization Western knowledge as dagdag kaalaman

IKSP FOR CULTURAL RESILIENCE

Pagta/Bodong (Cordillera IPs) Datuship (Lumad Mindanao) Kainumayan Tahen (Pinatubo Aytas) Bungkatolha Bulawan/Bagani (Higaonon IPs) Pagdidiwata (Palawan IPs) Surat Mangyan (Mangyan) Muyong (Ikalahan) Sunggod Te Kamangga (Matigsalug) Pavinan & Maybatabatalan (Ivatan) Tudtulan (Manobo & Manobo-related groups)

SUNGGOD TE KAMANGGA: TO FEED THE WHETSTONE

We, the Matigsalug of Bukidnon, have a ritual called sunggod te kamangga. We do this at the start of planting season. It is our prayer-call on Gods of abundance, Kalayag and Ivavasok, to protect the tribes from accident, misfortunes, sickness and other calamities during the clearing of our individual and communal farms. The term sunggod literally means to feed and kamanga means whetstone. Hence, the phrase may be translated to feed the whestone.

SUNGGOD TE KAMANGGA: TO FEED THE WHETSTONE

We believe that continued and prolonged use of farming tools such as bolos and axes will gradually blunt the edge of the tools, thus making them useless. Only the qualities inherent in the whestone, which is used to sharpen the tools, could prolong their usefulness. The whetstone symbolizes the deity Ivavasok, which means the god of hard work. The rootword vasok means work, so if a person is called mavasok, it means that the person is industrious and hardworking. Hence Ivavasok is the personification of the true source of abiding strength and power.

SUNGGOD TE KAMANGGA: TO FEED THE WHETSTONE

The entire community is summoned by the chief datu to attend the panuvad (generic term for ritual) which is usually held in the house of the chief and officiated either by the chief or the highest shaman. The men bring their farming tools to be blessed during the ritual. Women prepare the food, with contributions such as chickens, pigs, rice, and root crops from the different families. The youth do light jobs such as drawing drinking water.

SUNGGOD TE KAMANGGA: TO FEED THE WHETSTONE

We, the Matigsalug, see the sunggod te kamanga and the other subsistence-related rituals as useful in: Fostering our unified action and intercohesiveness of our community; Rekindling our spiritual connectedness with the land and nature; Strengthening our datu political system as a democratic system of governance; and Bridging the gap in inter-clan relationships

(Source: Roelito Gawilan, a Matigsalug datu, Sinuda, Kitaotao, Bukidnon, 1996 cited in Bennagen & Fernan, 1996: 56)

PAVINAN & MAYBATABATALAN : THE IVATAN WAY OF TRANSFERING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

The Ivatans have two (2) ways of transferring indigenous knowledge to the younger generations; these are payinan and maybatabatalan/maychavakangan. With Payinan, the family invites their nearest kin, distant relatives and friends to a small gathering (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, reunions or some other occasion).

PAVINAN & MAYBATABATALAN : THE IVATAN WAY OF TRANSFERING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

After taking the meal, the oldest of the group relates to everyone their family tree, their knowledge, systems and practices to the younger kin/relatives. On the other hand, with Maybatabatalan or Maychavakangan (Over the Tatauy), after the days work, people gather themselves in the batalan or yard to do some sort of brainstorming, while the palek is served in a tatauy from damahunan or plasko to ease their fatigue/ or tiredness. This is usually done in the late afternoons. (Uyugan ADSDPP, 2007)

TUDTULAN

Which mean sharing of goods, service and including ideas, is a practice among the Manobo and Manobo-related groups. Similar practices are found among the Teduray and the other IPs in Mindanao (Bennagen & Fernan, 1996:19)

SUBANON JUSTICE SYSTEM

The term, gukom, depending on usage, may refer to the Subanon justice or a governance system; to the timuay (village headman) or bogolal (council of timuay)who settle disputes or a high council of timuay assembled to settle an issue or conflict that either cannot be handled by the local timuay or a river territory, or that spans across territories Today it is embodied by the Tupo Nog Pito Kobogolalan Pagokbit Nog Golal Nog Pito Kodolongan (The Descendants of the Seven Traditional Leaders of the Seven Rivers) or simply Pito Kodolangan (Seven Rivers)

The Pito Kodolangan has the following functions: To negotiate and conclude peace accords with Subanon groups outside of the seven rivers To maintain peace and unity among the people of seven rivers; To settle disputes of any form within the seven rivers; To settle or decided conflicts among the community leaders in a particular river area, if the parties have failed to reach a settlement despite exhausting all remedies provided under customary law The Pito Kadolongan was last convened in 1974, when the Subanon faced threats from MNLF insurgents.. the Pito Kadolongan played a part in the story of Canatuan, this time to settle the controversy pertaining to the legality of the Council of Elders, created by the NCIP in 2003 (Sanz,
2007:113-114 as cited in Gatmaytan, 2007)

RE-INDIGENIZATION STRATEGIES

For NCIP to assert its role as the agency for the IPs (protector of IP rights) via governance from outside the bureaucracy and inside the ancestral domain (Bennagen, 2007 in Gatmaytan, 2007:191) Systematic program for mass education of IPRA Undertake customized programs and projects to strengthen negotiating capacities of IPs within their ADs Self-delineation by IP communities vis--vis legalistic adherence to a de-indigenizing law such as RA 8560 (requiring the services of geodetic engineers to legalize delineation) With self-delineation, more CADT would be awarded, with traditional boundaries respected

RE-INDIGENIZATION STRATEGIES

Enhance negotiating capacity by insisting on the consensus of the community members in FPIC process Develop a sustained program for operationalizing the increasing wealth of literature on IKSP and selfgovernance Endorse the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and ratify ILO Convention 169 Asserting a pro-IP stand at all cost

RE-INDIGENIZATION STRATEGIES

For assimilated or de-indigenized IPs (nawala ang pagkakatutubo) to re-indigenized themselves by going back to work in their respective ancestral domains (new breed of IP leaders/professionals have done this) Revisiting their IKSPs and revitalizing them to develop their AD economy and learning systems Building on customary law to address problem of law and order (conflict) Making use of relevant national laws (IPRA) to deal with non-IP actors Sustained consolidation by IPs of local processes, structures and resources, including meanings and value systems Educating the bureaucracy and support groups

Issues on IP Research
Civilizing

Research Agenda? Mainstreaming IKSP & Customary Laws? Exoticizing the IP cultures? Commercializing/Pirating IKSPs? Research with and research by or research for?

Principles on IP Research
Research

with-/by- and not research for Emancipatory and participatory Rights-based/self-determining

rights to ancestral domains; right to self-governance and empowerment; social justice and human rights; cultural integrity

Ethically-informed

of NCIP Admin Order #1 series of 2012- The IKSP and Customary Law Research and Documentation of 2012]

research practice [sec 2, 3, 4

Types of Research

[section 7, NCIP Admin Order #1 series of 2012- ]

Community-initiated

or solicited Academic/scholastic Policymaking Social

[historical/cultural heritage, social relations, cultural expressions]

Mandates

of NCIP & genetic prospecting

[delineation of ADs/ALs, formulation of ADSDPPs, FPIC process, etc.]

Biological

Doing IKSP research among the IPs in the Philippines

Mantra in doing IKSP research

Critics/rejects all forms of civilizing, mainstreaming, exoticizing, commercializing, ethnocentric research agenda and practices among the IPs Invokes the principles and practices of pro-IP research Informed by constructivist-emancipatorypragmatist rather than positivist worldview

Philosophical Assumption/Worldview [Creswell, 2007]

Positivism [Empiricism]
Deterministic, reductionist, empirical observation and measurement, theory-testing

Constructivism [Interpretivism]
Understanding, multiple pax meanings, social/historical construction, theory generation

Criticism [Advocacy/participatory/ emancipatory]

Political, empowerment issueoriented, collaborative, changeoriented

Pragmatism [Postmodernism]
Consequences of actions Problem-centered Pluralistic Real-world practice-oriented

IKSP RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

indigenous laws

rituals

technologies

IKSP

Selfdetermining or Death of a culture?

folklores

Crafts and products

language

Focus of IKSP Research in the Philippines

Areas

where IKSP is very much alive and kicking:

Agriculture, Agroforestry and Fisheries Arts and crafts Indigenous justice systems (customary laws) Biodiversity conservation Indigenous learning systems (chants, rituals) Ethno-history (folklore, epics, creation myths) Health and healing practices

Threats to IKSP/Cultural Extinction in the Philippines

Biopiracy

and misappropriation of IK health knowledge Lack of continuing government support re implementation of pro-IKSP laws and programs Continuing disenfranchisement of traditional health practices and dominance of western-based biomedical knowledge Mainstreaming/De-indigenization process
(acculturation/assimilation of western knowledge, technology,

belief systems/religion, and lifestyle by the IPs)

STRATEGIES FOR IKSP RESEARCH

Cultural resilience Re-indigenization Western knowledge as dagdag kaalaman

Philosophical and Theoretical Framework of IKSP

Land is sacred, land is life philosophy

Para sa aming mga Ayta, sagrado ang lupa. Ang lupa ang siyang ina kung saan sumususo ang lahat at siyang bumubuhay sa lahat ng nilikha-isda, hayop, tanim at tao Hindi basta-basta sinasaling o pinuputol ang mga halaman at kahoy dahil ito ay buhay na representasyon ng mga ninuno, ng mga ninunong namatay at naging abo o lupa na nagbigay sustansya sa mga kahoy at halaman kaya dapat sila igalang (Bagat, 1995 in Estacio, 1996:74) Nobody owns the land, it is the land that owns us (Macliing Dulag)

Ecocentrism/Sustainable Ecosystems Approach Ang tao at ang kalikasan ay iisa [humans and nature are one]

CODE OF ETHICS
An anthropologist must be scientifically objective (truthful) and relevant to national and community goal; sincere to his host community and obliged to explain to them the objectives and implications of his research; to listen to criticism by his host community of the research he has conducted; and eventually to provide them a copy of his work, ideally in their language, for the host community is the final arbiter of the validity of his work.

An anthropologist doing research has the obligation to make available the results of research data not only to the host community, but also to the larger community.
The anthropologist has the right and the obligation to criticize unethical practices of fellow anthropologists and other individuals and institutions that affect the practice of anthropology (Article 2, Sec 2, UGAT Constitution and By-laws of 1978)

OUTLINE FOR IKSP DOCUMENTATION

Introduction Historical background Belief Systems and Rituals ( Paganito; Panuvad; Kanyaw) Indigenous Justice System and Governance (Pagta; Gukom; ) IKSP on Technologies/ Livelihood Management (muyong; payuhuan ; communal forestry; agriculture; hunting and gathering; crafts making) IKSP on Cultural Resource Management ( Surat Mangyan; community museum; crafts; arts and literature) Biodiversity /Disaster Management (tahen; sustainable kaingin) Indigenous Health Care System (herbal medicines; folk healers) IKSP on Language (wordlist; IP dictionary; chants; songs)

SUMMARY:
Defined IKSP, its meaning and characteristics Shared experiences and ideas in doing IKSP research Cited some reflections in doing IKSP vis--vis its relevance and application in AD management and sustainability Suggested some processes on how IKSP can be best documented and undertaken by NCIP

BY WAY OF CLOSING

Sagada
May iniwang bakas bawat ninuno Sa bawat alamat, lumot at lamat na bumabalot Sa kababalaghan ng Sagada Nakaukit ito sa bawat talampas, kagubatan, at kuweba Tahanan ng mga anito May kanyaw sa bawat pag-uusisa At pagsamba sa Atu at sa Bulol Huhukayin ang pinagulang na tapey Na ibinaon sa lupa sampung taon na ang nakararaan

Magsasammiweng ang mga solibaw at gangsa Samantalang nagtatadek ang mga balasang at mandirigma Mag-uuggayam ang mga baboyramo at ugsa At magsasalidummay ang mga labuyo Sa mga nakaumang na bitag Ay Sagada: Ikaw ang lupang naghirang Ikaw ang lupang nagsilang Ikaw ang lupang maglilibing

Iniluwal ng kalikasan ang iyong mga ninuno Ang dap-ay ang templo ng tribu Dito nagtotongtong at nagbobodong Dito iniaalay ang pugot na ulo Dito nagsasandugo ang magkatunggaling tribu.

Dios

mamajes !