Indigenous Media and Popular Culture in the Philippines : Representations, Voices, and Resistance

This book argues that the production of media content, literature, and other forms of popular culture by Indigenous peoples (IPs), as well as their involvement as advisors, sources, or interviewees, serves as a platform for them not only to showcase their creativity but also to mediate their cultures, identities, worldviews, and activism. Through an examination of specific case studies of indigenous media and popular culture in the Philippines using textual and ethnographic methods, the chapters in this book shed light on the politics of representation, narratives of resistance, and self-representation and mediation of indigeneity and culture. They emphasize the crucial importance of addressing these issues to promote the recognition and empowerment of IPs, not only within the Philippines but also across Southeast Asia and the global context. Acknowledgments Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures 1 Indigenous Media and Pop Culture Studies in the Philippines What Are Indigenous Media and Popular Culture? Indigenous Media and Pop Culture Studies as a Field Trends and Gaps in the Philippines Media Entry and Functions in Indigenous Lives Texts, Portrayals, and Meanings Gaps and Research Trajectories The Book References Part I The Indigenous in Contemporary Regional Films 2 Negotiations on Necropolitics and Death in the Cinema on the Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao Riddles and Death The Cultural Fiat References 3 Distress in the Agusan Marshlands: Mapping Landscapes of Fear in Francis Xavier Pasion’s Bwaya (2014) Projecting Fear in Landscapes Producing Fear in Cinema The Manobo Cosmology Landscape of Fear Fear of Nature in Bwaya (2014) Distress in the Agusan Marshlands References Part II Self Representation, Resistance, and Counternarratives 4 Igorot Self-Representation in the #proud_to_be_an_igorot_challenge on Facebook Theory and Method Rhetorical Context: Who Are the Igorots? Rhetorical Argument: The Hashtag as Enthymeme Rhetorical Effect: Blind Spots of the Enthymeme? Conclusion References 5 Contemporary Vernacular Music Broadcasting and Indigenous Cultural Mediation in Baguio City, Philippines Contemporary Music Production and Indigenous Mediation in the Philippine Cordillera Local Broadcasting as an Extension of Cultural Mediation Baguio Radio and Contemporary Vernacular “Indigenous” Music Brief History Motivations and Constraints Concluding Remarks References 6 Reflexive Performance in Digital Spaces as Cultural Agency Among the Manobo-Pulanguiyen Introduction Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Performances, and Digital Spaces Manobo-Pulanguiyen’s Cultural Performances in the Digital Space Reflexive Performance Manobo Indigeneity and Social Media Use Reflexive Performance as Strategic Mechanism Conclusion References 7 Reframing and Reclaiming Kulintang Music: Countering Written History with Contemporary Reality Densmore’s Article and 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair Reclaiming and Reframing Through Performance Analysis with Theoretical Input Conclusion References Part III Configurations of Space, Values, and Histories 8 When Lumad Youth (Re)Write the Indigenous and the Juvenile: Constructiveness in Children’s Books Told by Children Constructedness, Constructiveness, and Autopoiesis Children’s Books Written by Lumad Youth Constructive Indigeneity and Juvenility The Possibility of Exchange References 9 Lumad Indigenous Values and Voices in Citizen and Alternative Media Narratives The Lumad Fight for Cultural Integrity Lumad Indigenous Values Lumad Indigenous Values Vs. Neoliberal Values Nature as Sacred Nature as a Communal Source Nature/Land as Culture, Identity, and Peace Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations References 10 The Redness of Balitok in Ibaloy Folklore and Literature Introduction The Resistance of Kutnon The Separation of Earth and Sky The Redness of Balitok as a Metaphor References 11 Space, Memory, and the Right to Be Remembered: The Case of the Heroes’ Monument of the Butbut Tribe in Kalinga Province Introduction Monuments as Artifacts of Popular Culture Cultural History, Politics of Space, and Politics of Memory Anti-Chico Dam Struggle: 1970s to 1980s Narrative of the State and Its Forces Narrative of the Indigenous Peoples of the Cordillera Media Coverage and Reportage The Construction and Demolition of the Heroes’ Monument Narrative of the State and its Forces Narrative of the Cordillera People and the Struggle Media Coverage and Reportage Analysis Politics of Space Politics of Memory, the Right to Remember, and the Right to Be Remembered Revising and Distorting History: Then and Now Conclusion References