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!