River TalesLocal Knowledge of River Systems Among Pulangiyen Talaandigs of Maramag, Bukidnon, Northern
Mindanao, Philippines
Dennis B. CoronelAteneo de Davao University
River TalesLocal Knowledge of River
Systems Among Pulangiyen Talaandigs of Maramag,
Bukidnon, Northern Mindanao, Philippines
Aims and Objectives Primarily the study aimed to explore, reclaim and document the orally transmitted tales about the Pulangi River among the elders of the Pulangiyen Talaandigs in Maramag, Bukidnon.
Aims and ObjectivesMore specifically, it geared to answer the following questions:
What sets of meanings and symbols are constructed and embedded in their world view and perception of the river ecosystem as reflected in these tales?
How does this world view influence the way they habituate the river environments and deal with its resources?
What local traditions, practices, and responses to changes in the river ecosystem have been observed, followed and performed by members of the community?
How does the Pulangiyen Talaandig community regulate and manage this local knowledge system in the light of fast changing social contexts?
Background of the Study
Background of the Study
Dologon
Panadtaran
Kalasungay
Background of the StudyThe Pulangiyen Talaandigs
documented ancestry dates back to the early 19th centuryriver-based and natural resource dependent peopleAs a result of waves of colonization in the region, to date there are essentially two groups of Pulangiyen, those occupying upstream Pulangi, and the much older settlement down south , , which is also the site of the Nat’l.Power Corp. Agus IV Hydropower dam station.The hydropower station has resulted in the creation of a lake, which today is known as Maramag Basin, or Pulangi Lake which has tremendously altered the course of downstream Pulangi river and the lives of Pulangiyen Talaandigs who have lived in the area long before the coming of National Power Corporation.
Background of the StudyStakeholders and participants of the Study:
• a total of 21 elder members coming from the three communities: Dologon – 9 Kalasungay - 7 Panadtaran - 5• 59 – 83 years old•17 –females, 4 males•18 are tribal leaders
MethodologyPhase 1. Site Selection and Pre-Entry Preparations Secondary Materials/Document Review
Area Maps
MethodologyPhase 2. Consent Validation and Entry Procedures
FPIC Tribal Council Panalwaheg Ritual
MethodologyPhase 3. Community Immersion
KI InterviewsLife History Case Studies generate primary transcriptions
Focus Group Discussions validate text and analysis
Methodology
Phase 4. Data Validation and Community Feedback
Inscription Transcription Translation
InterpretationCOMMUNITY
Representation
Results and Outputs
A.The River Tales
Grand Narratives * The River is a Snake * The Egg Flows in the River * Abundance in the Pulangi * The Panalwaheg
Results and Outputs
Subsumed Narratives
* The Crocodiles with Golden Earrings * The Giant Snake at the Root of the Old Tree * Why the River Never Runs Dry * The Hunters and the Giant Snake * The Snake that Blocked the Road
Results and Outputs
CONTENT ANALYSIS: THEMATIC DOMAINS
Nature as Self: Web Cosmology
Pleasing the Gods: Protection and Preservation
Contested Past: Forgetfulness and Dislocation
Reclaiming the Future
Discussion and AnalysisA. River Tales as Alternative Environmental Narratives“A substantial alternative to existing, largely ‘top- down’ natural resource management paradigms.” (Davis, 2012)
B. Narratives as Symbol Complexes A set of standardized orientations to recurrent problems. (Kluckhohn, 1970).
C. Ethos and Worldview Narratives contain and reveal the people’s most comprehensive ideas of order. (Geertz, 1973)
Conclusions
A. The Pulangiyen Talaandigs as “Symbolizing, Conceptualizing, Meaning-Seeking Individuals
B. Local Knowledge as a Contestation Discourse
RecommendationsA. Pulangiyen Talaandig Children Stories: Book
B. Production of Course Module Materials for syllabi integration
Daghan Kaayong Salamat!