MHIRC Leads IP Month Celebration with Webinar on Ethnohistories

 

by Maan Deuda

In commemoration of the 2024 Indigenous Peoples (IP) Month and the 27th Anniversary of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, MSU-IIT’s Mindanao Heritage and Indigenous Research Center (MHIRC) hosted a webinar on Research Gallery: Doing Ethnohistories of Northern Mindanao and Other Indigenous Methodologies on Wednesday, October 2.

Featuring resource speakers and anthropologists, Dr. Oona Paredes from the University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and Dr. Jay Rey Alovera, Director of MSU-IIT’s Center for Culture and Arts (CCA); this online research forum opened the conversation on IP research and ethical community engagement, highlighting collaborative methodologies to address the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples.

“This event invites us to rethink how we approach Indigenous methodologies, to see them not only as research tools but as pathways to deeper understanding, respect, and collaboration. This space encourages us to acknowledge the wealth of Indigenous communities and to ensure their voices resonate in every facet of our scholarly and societal endeavors,” Dr. Ephrime B. Metillo, Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, expressed in his message.

This webinar was made possible through partnerships with the MSU-IIT Research and Enterprise, MSU-IIT Department of History, MSU-IIT Indigenous People Student Advocates (MIPSA), MSU-IIT Historical Society (MIHS), and the HST106 - Ethnohistory Class.

“Today we stand at the intersection of History and Scholarship tasked with elevating voices that have long been marginalized and recentering our understanding of history within the lead experiences of Indigenous Peoples,” he emphasized.

During the lecture, Dr. Paredes, an anthropologist and ethnohistorian, shared insights from her research on the indigenous Higaunon Lumads of Misamis Oriental, focusing on their “panod” or oral tradition. She discussed how she worked with the Higaunon community to compile a book aimed at preserving their language and cultural heritage.

The book, blending Ethnohistory and Indigenous Methodology, fostered a deeper appreciation for the Higaunon’s Ethnos. “As opposed to the term “tribe” or other similar categories which tend to produce ideas in our heads about a particular type of community and the stereotypes that go along with it, as particular characteristics, so instead, Ethnos to me is a more general way of saying that a particular population is a people or have a sense of themselves as people,” she pointed out.

Dr. Paredes’ discussion focused on her work experiences on IPs using Ethnomethodology and the challenges and issues faced by the Indigenous communities that she worked with. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Alovera, CCA Director and Coordinator for Indigenous Knowledge at MHIRC, focused his talk on the technicalities of conducting research with Indigenous Peoples, introducing various indigenous groups, their distinct cultures, and the challenges they continue to face.

He emphasized on the methodologies that he used in the process of his research with these communities, underscoring the importance of researching IPs and the impact of these studies on these groups. 

“When I was with the Matigsalog, that simple 100,000 budget became millions, in terms of development funds from Resident Salamanca and Australia. When I did the dissertation among the Higaonons of Opol we gave back by very simple acts like connecting them for LET reviews, connecting them to institutions,” Dr. Alovera shared.

He advocated that studying IPs would allow their struggles to be heard and amplified, paving the way for recommendations and various initiatives for their community improvement. 

“Through this activity, we are reminded that no matter how good our intentions are, no matter how huge the funding is, or no matter how we claim to have been working with IP communities, it doesn’t necessarily follow that we are championing them. We should prioritize ethical engagement, as mentioned by Dr. Paredes earlier, through the idea of collaboration and participation, then we contribute to a more equitable and just relationship with the Indigenous communities, honoring their rights, knowledge, and cultural heritage,” Asst. Prof. Jed B. Otano, Director of MHIRC stressed in his closing remarks, echoing the main goal of IP research.

MIPSA President Jhon Dave Manos took the floor as the moderator of the open forum wherein participants clouded the chatbox with their questions on Indigenous methodologies, research processes, and other related inquiries. 

This webinar marked the start of a series of events celebrating IP Month, with MIPSA planning more activities to continue the conversation, including a podcast series titled “IPadungog: Discussion on IP Tribes in Mindanao” in collaboration with CASSayuran, “IPasundayag: MIPSA Local Traditional Business Expo” in partnership with MSU-IIT Lilacs and the Kataastaasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral (KASAMA), and a panel discussion on IP Conversations.