Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading

Reading in the Philippines is a process whereby the body, mind and spirit are engaged. Even though Filipinos are predominantly Catholic, many believe that creative energy, in the form of spirits, dwells in nature. These spirits must be respected or else they can unleash their wrath through sickness...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: M. Elena Clariza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Hawai'i Library & Information Science Program 2019-04-01
Series:The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion
Online Access:https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi/article/view/32593
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spelling doaj-9a622e9f17374616b67e55512531a1882021-05-03T00:23:01ZengUniversity of Hawai'i Library & Information Science ProgramThe International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion2574-34302019-04-013210.33137/ijidi.v3i2.32593Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on ReadingM. Elena Clariza0University of Hawai'i at Manoa Reading in the Philippines is a process whereby the body, mind and spirit are engaged. Even though Filipinos are predominantly Catholic, many believe that creative energy, in the form of spirits, dwells in nature. These spirits must be respected or else they can unleash their wrath through sickness and natural calamities. As a contribution to preserving Filipino indigenous knowledge, this paper will explore whatok, the tattooing tradition of the Butbut people of Kalinga and t’nalak, the weaving tradition of the T’boli people of Mindanao. The aim of this paper is to preserve the unique culture of the Philippines’ indigenous peoples’ while sharing a decolonized perspective on reading. The term “decolonized” is used to mean peeling away the layers of nearly 400 years of Spanish and American colonial influence on Filipino culture. I will do this by studying the ways in which indigenous Filipino people record memory. The Philippines has an ancient syllabary system, but I will focus on older forms of transmitting ancestral knowledge, tattooing and textile making. Hopefully, this method will challenge readers to see tattoos and textiles as a valid means of documentation beyond printed text. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi/article/view/32593
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author M. Elena Clariza
spellingShingle M. Elena Clariza
Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading
The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion
author_facet M. Elena Clariza
author_sort M. Elena Clariza
title Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading
title_short Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading
title_full Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading
title_fullStr Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading
title_full_unstemmed Sacred Texts and Symbols: An Indigenous Filipino Perspective on Reading
title_sort sacred texts and symbols: an indigenous filipino perspective on reading
publisher University of Hawai'i Library & Information Science Program
series The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion
issn 2574-3430
publishDate 2019-04-01
description Reading in the Philippines is a process whereby the body, mind and spirit are engaged. Even though Filipinos are predominantly Catholic, many believe that creative energy, in the form of spirits, dwells in nature. These spirits must be respected or else they can unleash their wrath through sickness and natural calamities. As a contribution to preserving Filipino indigenous knowledge, this paper will explore whatok, the tattooing tradition of the Butbut people of Kalinga and t’nalak, the weaving tradition of the T’boli people of Mindanao. The aim of this paper is to preserve the unique culture of the Philippines’ indigenous peoples’ while sharing a decolonized perspective on reading. The term “decolonized” is used to mean peeling away the layers of nearly 400 years of Spanish and American colonial influence on Filipino culture. I will do this by studying the ways in which indigenous Filipino people record memory. The Philippines has an ancient syllabary system, but I will focus on older forms of transmitting ancestral knowledge, tattooing and textile making. Hopefully, this method will challenge readers to see tattoos and textiles as a valid means of documentation beyond printed text.
url https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi/article/view/32593
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