I recently read two books that sparked a deep reflection on the climate and justice challenges we face today: Principles of Tsawalk by E. Richard Atleo (recommended to me by Professor Kyle Whyte) and Speed and Scale by John Doerr. As a scientist and an indigenous woman from the Philippines, I found inspiration in the diverse approaches these books offer to tackle our pressing climate and justice issues. Embracing My Indigenous Identity: Growing up, I hesitated to embrace my Igorot heritage due to the judgment I often faced. An incident in elementary school, where I was singled out for my indig ..read more

Hello Pinay Artist followers! In this blog, I will share with you more about jeepneys - what they are, a brief history, and my thoughts on the jeepney phaseout plan. The jeepney, also called jeep, is among the most utilized modes of public transportation in the Philippines. They look like small buses and are usually decorated in bright colors, sometimes with colorful lights (not to be confused with police or ambulance lights!). Drivers decorate their jeepney according to their style, beliefs, home province, or personality, and it is a delight for locals and tourists alike to see them. As an ho ..read more

Iceland, the land of fire and ice, is the youngest country geologically speaking. It began forming about 25 million years ago via a series of volcanic eruptions on the mid-Atlantic ridge. This is small in the geological timescale given the oldest rock on earth is known to be more than 4 billion years old! Interestingly, it is the only country in the Arctic with no indigenous peoples. Of the more than 40 Arctic Indigenous Peoples, the Inuit are the most widespread. They occupy areas in Russia, Canada, Greenland, and Alaska, but there are no evidences of the Inuits or other indigenous groups set ..read more

Meg Daupan April 12, 2022 I don’t know how many museums I’ve been to in different countries, books I’ve read, and movies I’ve seen that portray indigenous communities as savage, lacking knowledge, uncivilized, etc. Much of written history is one-sided and told by those with power. They tell us that they discovered our land, cleansed and civilized our people who lived in jungles, and were brutally treated by the natives. Unfortunately, many of us were made to believe in the same stories and treat the colonizers as our saviors. We have forsaken our own history, neglected our indigenous communit ..read more

By: Meg Daupan In college, a professor in a philosophy class I took asked the question, “Should we do away with culture and tradition?” My response at that time, thinking of all the fun big family gatherings and parties, Philippine culinary delicacies, and beautiful traditional dances was a straightforward “no!” As I continued on my path, traveling to different places and learning about many cultures, I began to see that various norms, traditions, and beliefs were in fact toxic—and that we should do away with them. Culture is meant to evolve to keep communities thriving and surviving together ..read more

Weaving is one of the oldest traditional art forms in the world. In the Philippines, evidence of weaving dates back to the 13th Century, before any colonizers set foot in the country. The most common raw materials are cotton, abaca, and pineapple leaves. This blog will focus on two indigenous weaving practices in the Philippines. First, the Iloko weave of the Ilocanos that has seen great transformations over time, and second, the T’nalak by the southern T’boli tribe that has persisted in much the same form. Weaving is a form of art, an expression of one’s culture, and it has played important r ..read more

(Note: This description does not apply to 100% of Filipino families, but is certainly common.) The Filipino family concept goes beyond the nuclear family unit involving the parents and their children. In the Philippines, family extends beyond to include aunts and uncles (called tita and tito), cousins, grandparents and their siblings (your lolos and lolas). Sometimes, even the neighbors count as family too. Filipinos are known to have strong and close family ties. They put higher regard on family than anything else. So what are the pros and cons to this system? Pro: You get to go to many parti ..read more