Visual Art Lessons
Inspired by the Indigenous
People of Mindanao
Fulbright-Hays Travel Study Tour 2006
Presented at the KAPWA Conference
Sonoma State University, North Bay International Studies
Project, June 15-16,2007
Holly Calica, Visual Arts Teacher
San Francisco Unified School District
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 1
Background information on indigenous people gathered by 4th
grade students from Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School and
shared in small group discussions. Websites include:
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Cynthia/Mindanao/ethnolingusticgroups.htm#Maranao
http://class.csueastbay.edu/anthropologymuseum/virtmus/Philippines/Peoples/Blaan.htm
http://www.byahilo.com/?p=192
http://www.humanity.org/voices/folklore/
I also brought in art work created by artisans, shared
photographs taken during my Fulbright tour in 2006 and had
students listen to kulintang music. This was done after
students had started project, as I wanted them to use their own
imaginations when they created their illustrations.
Sample T’boli photos:
The following pages are a compilation of the information
gathered by the children.
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 2
The Mandaya Tribe of Davao: The Mandaya tribeswomen
traditionally makes their hand-woven cloth called dagmay
out of abaca fibers. These cloth are then usually made into
clothes, bags, wallets, table runners or placemats.
Ata Manobo Tribe: Datu Quirino Gabao, 65 years old, is the leader of the Tigwa
Manobo settlement Kibongkog, together with his brother, Datu Esteban Gabao. His
headdress (tangkulu), decorated with bristles of a wild boar, is especially typical for
the minority people of that area down to Davao (Tigwa, Matigsalug, Ata and
Langilan Manobo as well as Bagobo).Kibongkog, San Fernando, Bukidnon. August
9, 1993, 11 a.m.
.
Kadayawan Festival: The
Kadayawan Festival is one of the most
colorful festivals in the country. It is a
thanksgiving celebration by the people
of Davao every month of August.
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 3
Blaan Tribe: The Blaan
traditionally live in the hills
near the Davao gulf in
territory abutting that of the
Bagobo, and in the Davao
and Cotabato watersheds;
more recently they have
moved into the coastal area.
Their culture has been
changing very rapidly. Houses
are scattered about the
swidden fields, generally
within sight of each other, and
neighborhoods are ruled by
hereditary datus. The lebe is
the Blaan equivalent of the
Bagobo magani.
Bagobo: The Bagobo is a tribe that traces its origin from the people who brought Hinduism to
Mindanao during the Sri Vijayan and Majapahit invasion. When the people inter-married with
the locals, they formed a new society and came up with the name Bagobo. The word
“Bagobo” is derived from the root word “bago,” which means “new” or “recent” while the “obo”
suffix means “grow” in the tribe’s dialect. The Bagobos have a light brown complexion. Their
hair is brown or brownish black, ranging from wavy to curly. The men have an average height
of five feet and three inches, while the women’s height average is five feet. Although their
faces are wide, their cheekbones are not too prominent. Their eyes are dark and widely set,
while the eye slits are slanting. The males and females deliberately shave their eyebrows to a
thin line. The root of their nose is low, while the ridge is broad. Their lips are full and their chins
are round.
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 4
T'Boli Tribe: Like other hill people, the T'Boli subsist on hunting, fishing and cultivation. The
rivers, lakes and marshes of the region have always been the source of the fish caught by
using fishing rods, spews, nets and other traps. Mudfish, catfish, fresh water shrimp and snails
are common food items. Ducks are also raised along the lake's shores.
Manobo Tribes: For hundreds of years these tribes roamed the valleys and mountains, doing
slash-and-burn agriculture and having little or no contact with the outside world. From birth
they have heard the oral traditions, myths and ballads, and have practiced the ways that made
them distinctly Manobo - different from the lowland Filipino and neighboring tribal groups.
Perhaps the strongest of their beliefs is that a person cannto leave the traditional spirits and
ways and still be a true Manobo. Manobo" is the hispanicized form of "Manuvu," which, of
course, means "people." The Manobo appear to be a remnant of the very first Austronesian
invasion from Taiwan, predating peoples like the Ifugao of Luzon. The general orientation is
now predominantly upland, as they were chased from the valleys by invading Visayans and
Spaniards. But the Manobo have an adaptation to virtually every ecological niche, from rugged
highland to coast, and are found from Sarangani Island to Agusan del Sur, the Davao
provinces, Bukidnon, and North and South Cotabato. Kinship is figured bilaterally, and nuclear
households are kin-grouped into widely dispersed communities usually situated on ridges high
above mountain drainages. Some communities have long houses. Leadership is achieved by a
skilled and socially powerful datu who creates alliances in many ways, including marriage.
Several area datus would be organized under a higher datu, united in turn under the Sultanate
with a Rajah Muda. This structure is gradually giving way to the westernized scheme of
provincial government and local councilmen, which places more emphasis on the young and
educated. The distinctive ethnic costumes have mostly given way to commercial clothing, with
ethnic materials being sold commercially as antiques.
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 5
Kalagan & Tagakaolo Tribes: The Kalagan live on the island of Mindanao in the southern
Philippines. They are located in an area between the interior uplands and the western coast of
the Davao Gulf. The Kalagan are thought to be one of various groups of lowland Filipinos who
came to the islands from Asia's southwestern mainland several thousand years ago. Their
lifestyle and culture are very similar to that of the Magindanaw.
With the arrival of Islam in the 1500's, the Kalagan split into two separate groups—the
Tagakaulu Kalagan and the Tagakaolo Kalagan. The Tagakaulu Kalagan speak Tagakaolo,
which is closely related to a number of other languages spoken in the region.
While some of the Tagakaulu Kalagan receive wages for labor, others work as farmers. Maize
is the major crop grown and is harvested two or three times a year. The coastal Kalagan are
also fishermen; others work as laborers on plantations.
Maranao People:
The Maranao are famed for their sophisticated weaving and wood and metal craft. Maranao
means "People of the Lake," after their traditional territory in the area surrounding Lake Lanao
in the Bukidnon-Lanao Plateau, which is some 2,200 feet above sea level. They are one of the
largest Islamic groups in the Philippines. Core areas as Marawi City, Lumba-a-bayabao, and
Bayang. The Maranao are a splinter group of the Magindanao who took up Islam; all families
trace their religious origin to Sharif Kabunsuan, who introduced the religion in the area.
Communities are clustered around a mosque and a torogan, a royal house belonging to the
leading economic household in the area. The Maranao are widely distributed and play an
important role in market trade. Besides exotic textiles, metalwork, and woodcraft, the torogan
building is perhaps the most spectacular example of Filipino secular architecture. The awang,
or dugout boat used in Lake Lanao, is possibly the most unique and ornate of dugouts.
Maranao textiles, which indicate the status of the wearer, are known for their very ornate
designs and colors. The design motifs which form the basis for the okil are highly
systematized. NOtable among them are the sari-manok and naga, abstract animate forms of
the cock, and dragon or snake, respectively. They also utilize a unique tube skirt, the malong.
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 6
Maranao Art
Okir or okkil refers to the ranfe of folk motifs,
usually of plants and geometric forms, that are
prominent in Maranao art work.
The oldest proof of okir's flowering is the
torogan, the ancestral home of the highest
titleholder in a Maranao village. The torongan
is a symbol of rank abd prestige and is
reserved for important celebrations and
political events. It stands out architecturally in
the community because if its panolong - a
carved beam that protrudes in the front of the
house and is adorned with okir motif.
Aside from plan and vegetable forms, the
panalong has come to be dominated by the
nafa or sepent motif. The malong, woven
Maranao cloth, also bears various okir
designs.In fact, the geometric and plant
designs on the vertical strips of the malong
indicate the wearer's village of origin. Brass
and metal works, from the fuctional betel-nut
boxes to musical instruments, always carry
these designs as well. A more distinctive
variation is the sarimanok, a chickenlike figure
that carries a fish in its beak.
Images from Traveler's
Companion: Philippines
Sources:
Insight Guides: Philippines and
Filway's Philippine Almanac Centennial Edition
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 7
Bukidnon People: The 50,000 Bukidnon of East Lanao are a tribe of
fiercely independent highland dwellers.
Yakan: Yakan is another unique cultural group of Sulu living on Basilan Island south of
Zamboanga. They are gentle people of partial Polynesian origin, with mixed Muslim and
animalist beliefs. They are the most superb textile weavers of the southern archipelago.
On backstrap looms they turn fine cotton and silks into remarkable geometric work of
art.
Holly A. Calica (SFUSD), Visual Art Lessons Inspired by the Indigenous People of Mindanao, Fulbright-Hays Tour, 2007, page 8