The Manobo Eco-Literatures in Preserving Nature PDF

# Kaemag, Wuhig, Pasak Duw Guyanganan (Air, Water, Land and Forests): The Manobo Eco-Literatures in Preserving Nature ## Abstract This study examined oral literatures of the Manobo Tribe in Agusan del Sur, through the lens of ecocriticism, to identify eco-knowledge in preserving nature. A quali...

# Kaemag, Wuhig, Pasak Duw Guyanganan (Air, Water, Land and Forests): The Manobo Eco-Literatures in Preserving Nature ## Abstract This study examined oral literatures of the Manobo Tribe in Agusan del Sur, through the lens of ecocriticism, to identify eco-knowledge in preserving nature. A qualitative design was used to understand the Manobo relationship with nature. A purposive sampling procedure was used to select participants for Key Informant Interview (KII) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Results showed that Manobo eco-literatures contained Manobo eco-knowledge of preserving air, water, land and forests. Documentation of oral and written literatures of other indigenous tribes is recommended. ## Introduction Climate change is a serious environmental problem resulting from unethical human interactions with nature. Extreme weather conditions such as El Nino, La Nina, super typhoons, and tsunamis are just some of its effects. Ehrlich and Ehrlich (2012) claimed that the loss of biodiversity and toxification of the planet are as dangerous as the changing of climate. These problems require attention from various sectors of society including literary scholars. Ecology and environmental depredation/devastation have been portrayed as themes in Philippine literature in recent decades to answer the growing environmental problems (Arbilo, 2016). “Environmentally oriented study of literature brings about an ecological literacy among the readers who in the process become eco-conscious, thereby taking good care of Mother Nature” (Mishra, 2016, p.168). Mishra pointed out that to preserve and protect the environment, everyone must have ecological consciousness. Thus, understanding human impact on nature is requisite in mitigating the global crisis. This understanding can also be gained from oral literatures, which encapsulate traditional knowledge, beliefs and values about the environment and the nature of the society itself. Oral literature of indigenous group may be used to describe human impact on nature because oral literatures are created from their experiences. These oral literatures are a record of everyday experiences that depict and describe indigenous ways of preserving and protecting the environment to lessen the impact of climate change. ## Nature Preservation Extensive misuse of natural resources has left the world on the brink of destruction. The rainforests are cut down, the fossil fuel is fast decreasing, ecological disaster is continually happening, and the environment is at the verge of total destruction (Mishra, 2016). These circumstances must lead people to realize that there earth can support life. Preserving nature is a way of keeping ourselves from destruction. Amidst all these circumstances, an ecological perspective emerged in reading literature aimed at changing the anthropocentric attitude of people in interacting with nature. This emergent ecological perspective is referred to as Ecocriticism. ## Ecocriticisms In the advent of preserving nature (ecocriticisms), a new theory in reading literatures helps to verify if eco-knowledge needed in achieving sustainable ways of preserving nature is also found in oral literatures. “Ecocriticism is the study [...] and physical environment” (Glotfelty, 1996 p. xviii). It emphasizes the relationship of human and non-human throughout the history of human culture. It features not only the harmony of humanity and nature, but also talks about destruction of the environment caused by people (Fenn, 2015, p.115). ## Indigenous Literatures (Eco-literatures) Literatures about indigenous people are called indigenous or oral literatures. They contain what these groups knew, where they came from, and where they are going. They are indigenous people's records of their day-to-day experiences, handed down from one generation to the next to instruct and to remind members of the tribe of their responsibilities. ## The Manobo Oral Literatures in Preserving Nature The 36 Manobo literatures collected were classified into: eco-legend, eco-song, eco-story, eco-fable, and eco-poems. Twenty (20) eco-literatures were found to have contained ecological knowledge crucial to preserve nature, which are mirrored in the way the tribe interact with nature, as shown in Table 1. | Title of Manobo Oral Eco-literatures | Genre | Ways in Interacting with Nature Which Mirrored the Manobo Eco-Knowledge | |---|---|---| | Motong Falls | Eco-legend | Executing rituals as a sign of respect to nature | | Toduw | Eco-legend | Appointing _dagpun_ (forest guards) and _bagani_ (tribal warrior) | | Legend of Talacogon | Eco-legend | Appointing _dagpun_ and _bagani_| | Legend of Bunawan | Eco-legend | Limiting the use of gold only to barter with food | | Sindoy | Eco-song | Using machetes, bows and spears in fishing | | Here in the Mountain | Eco-song | Limiting the use of plants/tress only for building their shelter | | Cold Forest | Eco-song | Celebrating nature by living in the forest | | The King's Story | Eco-story | Using bugjas and fishing nets when fishing | | Lake Parilabuhan | Eco-story | Using bugjas and fishing nets when fishing | | Maria and Friends | Eco-story | Talking to nature through their rituals | | The Nymph and the Raft | Eco-story | Executing rituals as a sign of respect to Nature | | The Woman Stump | Eco-story | Using their own indigenous skills in interacting with nature | | Ikogan and Mandabon | Eco-story | Considering the preservation and protection of nature as their responsibility | | The Forest of Liliputon | Eco-story | Using only _lit-ag_ (traps), _bangkaw_ (spears) and _singwag_ (splinters) and by tagging along a _tumawan_ (hunting dog) when hunting | | Tanhuban | Eco-story | Appointing _dagpun_ and _bagani_ | | The Story of Herbal Medicine | Eco-story | Executing rituals as a sign of respect to nature | | The Ancestors of the Butterflies | Eco-fable | Promoting a wise environmental protection plan | | Daguan and Dahunayon | Eco-fable | Using medicinal plants resources wisely | | Heritage Land | Eco-poem | Living at the heart of nature | | Ing-ing Manatad | Eco-poem | Protecting their _yutang kabilin_ (ancestral land)| ## The Eco-Legends of the Manobo tribe. Manobo eco-legends refer to legends which settings/characters/plots reflect one or more elements of nature, such as: water, land, air, minerals and forest. The four (4) eco-legends collected commonly emphasized nature in its setting and characters. It was found out that culturally bound terminologies and motifs of eco-legends were connected to different elements of nature such as water, land, minerals, and forests. It is also observed that the Manobo eco-literatures contained themes that can promote eco-knowledge or eco-literacy. ### Eco-Legend Motong Falls The first of those themes that emerged in the eco-legends is the value of respect as reflected in the eco-legend Motong Falls. In the legend, the couple who lived in the forest ridiculed the white tailless monkey and were punished by the Tagbanwa, owner and guardian of everything in nature. The lightning struck on them and they turned into rocks called amotong or huge people. The couple were punished as a result of lack of respect for nature. This proved what Taylor (2011) called the prevailing anthropocentric view: that the natural environment and its wildlife are valued only as objects for human use or enjoyment, thus human disrespect nature. What happened to the couple was a punishment from Tagbanwa according to the beliefs of the Manobo tribe. Because of this belief, they do ritual before they fish, hunt, plant and do other activities. Performing a ritual is their indigenous way of preserving the environment because it is deemed by the Manobo tribe as respect to Tagbanwa. In doing so, they won't destruct the environment and can keep themselves from being punished. ## Conclusion The study described how the Manobo tribe in Agusan del Sur interact with nature. It also examined what ecological knowledge are found in their oral eco-literatures crucial to nature preservation. The findings of the current research are essentially extending the application of ecocriticism from written literatures to oral literatures. In light of the data gathered, it can be concluded that the traditional way of the Manobo in interacting with nature suggests that the tribe value respect of nature, ethical manner of dealing with nature, and their responsibility of being the eco-citizens or keepers of nature. This relationship between the Manobo tribe and nature, that emerged in their eco-litaratures, has demonstrated what Garard (2012) have said about eco-criticism. Garard argued that eco-criticism is study of the relationship of human and non-human throughout the history of human culture. In their eco-literatures, etched how close they are to nature, which to them is their world. Their world made them a total person, who valued nature as they valued their lives. Their eco-knowledge further described the rich culture of the tribe in relation to nature. The most prominent eco-knowledge are the rituals that they do before they start hunting, fishing, and farming. These rituals are the hallmark of their respect to nature. Underpinning this respect is their fear of punishment from _Magbabaja_, their Great God and even from _Tagbanwa_. Their fear of punishment keeps them from abusing nature. This circumstance found in Manobo eco-literatures gave emphasis, not only to the harmony of human and nature, but also talked about the destruction of the environment caused by people as Fenn (2015, p.115) had presented. Using the traditional way of hunting, fishing, and farming as well as their close relationship with nature made the Manobo tribe truly an eco-informed or eco-literate citizen. The ethical practice of the tribe, as shown in their eco-literatures, have found connections to the actual circumstances in the history of the province in celebrating nature. Environmental programs, laws and other legal provisions had been implemented in the province to mitigate environmental crisis. Government institutions had strived to create programs to achieve sustainable nature preservation. This result, concretized what Howart (1996) said, that with a view of celebrating nature, an eco-critic, berate nature despoilers, and reversing their harm through political action. Therefore, the awareness of environmental issues through the study of Manobo oral literatures in preserving and protecting nature, can contribute to the solution in solving the pressing environmental problems facing the Agusanons, the Filipinos and the world. ## Recommendations This study had just focused on the Manobo oral literatures. Its major limitation lies on the limited number of literatures gathered in the study and its being focused only to oral literature and one tribe. It is in this premise that documentation and analysis of eco-literatures, oral and written, of another tribes in Caraga Region are recommended. The researcher had identified some issues need to be explored in the furture researches. One, on development and validation of MTBL materials using the collected eco-literatures of the Manobo tribe. Two, on documentation and analysis of the oral and written literatures of other indigenous tribe as it can address the dearth of materials from the locality. And three, on the analysis of the collected and documented, Manobo literatures to find out if reconstruction of the once shattered environment are also captured in both oral and written literatures of the Manobo tribe. The same can be done with the oral and written eco-literatures of other existing tribe in Agusan del Sur and other places in Caraga Region.