The rainy Monday monsoon rains couldn’t suspend the presentation of “Itauli: Reframing Cordillera Women in Photographs” and “Apong Lasoy’s Beads: Strands of Memory and Legacy” published by the Museo Kordilyera of the University of the Philippines Baguio on July 22,2024.
“Itauli”, the Kankana-ey term that means “to return” was a discourse on the turn of the 20th century foreigner’s presentation of indigenous women and men as bare chested clad in wrap around skirts and loin cloths as opposed to the images of two European women volunteer photographers from 1991-1992 that offer diversified perspectives on the roles local women play. The monograph was written by Grace Celeste T. Subido and Ruth M. Tindaan to present the curated images and the modern discussions on decolonizing photography and changing the ‘ways of seeing’ how cultural formations condition the production and reception of cultural products like photos.
In the exhibit, Gerry Atkinson from UK who immersed herself in project areas of the non-government organization, Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center, Inc (CWEARC), documented the lives of the indigenous women in their social and cultural milieu. She was able to show them taking part in rituals, gong playing, and babysitting.
Dutch photographer and web designer Marleen Korver concentrated on the roles that mothers and children play as partners in progress and industry. The woman doing part of the process in gold sluicing, farming, cooking, and earning were many of her outputs for the new conversations regarding the female image.
The children’s book, “Apong Lasoy’s Beads: Strands of Memory and Legacy”, written by Palanca Multi-awardee Luchie Maranan and illustrated by Zofie Nataño transformed the post graduate thesis of former Baguio resident Benjamin Abellera into a reader-friendly form. Museum director Jennifer C. Josef said that the scholarly studies were meant to be the springboards for changes in the standards of living of a populace and shifts in trends of thoughts instead of being stacked in shelves of libraries. Commissioning Maranan to use the elements for a literary piece, She noted the value of the study in the vanishing culture of beads that used to be prized as heirloom pieces as well as livestock equivalents in the villages.
Maranan said that the contemporary character, Flora, is a recipient of the economic shift of heritage. She was a child whose family heirloom was sold for her education which she found in a museum abroad. In her visit to her grandmother, the loss of the valuable beads was explained. These were later donated by the anthropologist philanthropist to the Canadian museum anonymously, she was informed by the museum director.
Artist Nataño admitted that she relied on the instructions of Maranan and book editor Ben Tapang while presenting visual studies for the story. She said that this book is her first publication prior to graduation from the College of Fine Arts.
The Itauli exhibit is located adjacent to the store of Museo Kordilyera.
#Museo Kordilyera
#Cordillera News Agency
#GraceCelesteTSubido
#RuthTindaan
#GerryAtkinson
#MarleendeKorver
#LuchieMaranan
#ZofieNataño
#JenniferC.Josef
#BenTapang
#BenjieAbellera
