My mom used to tell us that growing-up in a country where being indigenous or “native” is frowned or ridiculed upon was not easy. Among her ten siblings, she was the only one who can speak the indigenous language- Binukid, fluently. She shared that her brothers and sisters, when they were young, somehow tried their very best to learn and practice English and Filipino, the national language, just to make themselves perceived educated and civilized by any common Filipino. At that time, when one identified oneself as “native” or indigenous, he or she was perceived uneducated, ignorant and worst, barbaric. As a result, majority of the indigenous people in my hometown preferred to be called Filipino, a term first coined by the Spanish colonizers for those Spaniards born or those who migrated from Spain and live in the islands of the Philippines to set them apart from the natives called indios, rather than being called Bukidnons, the indigenous tribe that my mom belongs to. During those times, being indigenous was prone to discrimination of being considered second-class citizens. Thus, many if not all indigenous people tried to erase such identity and character of being indigenous from their own being. Many chose to dress up in jeans or suit, sang the Beatles and Madonna songs, and even change the color of their dark brown or black skins to white instead. Most also after having an educational degree and a descent job in government or private sector in hardship, cared less and did not bother to look back on their rich indigenous cultural heritage and colorful history. Unfortunately, it is a very sad reality but true.

With such experience, I could not blame my mom on why she would seldom talk about such part of the story of her life. With such pain and hardships, who would like to remember such memories? I could not blame also the others who seemed to care less to share to the world about the richness of the indigenous culture and colorful history, instead chose and tried to move on with life.

Looking back at my childhood years, I would always ask a lot of questions about who am I? Why was my dad having a fairer or whiter skin and a longer nose like the mestizo Chinese compared to the dark brown skin and flat nose of my mom? Why are we, my siblings, light brown skinned and not white, were we adopted by our parents? (Of course, my would always be on the rescue saying that we were originally from her womb and not from someone’s else.) Why are some of our neighbors in the farm of my grandfather and the people in the market where we buy our weekly food spoke a foreign language (Binukid) so different from what we were using? I used to term it “speaking in Chinese” when my mom was talking to bargain from the indigenous vendors, and yes, she always got great discounts compared to those non-native speaking buyers at the Sunday farmers’ market. Why then my mom did not teach us the indigenous language if we can use it practically to have great deals?

Such questions inspired me to take up a degree in History and had my undergraduate thesis focus on the “Ethnohistory of the Bukidnon Indigenous Tribe of Malaybalay City.” I was craving then to learn more about who I am. Then, slowly, I was able to uncover some great stories and also painful memories of my fellow indigenous people along my researching. I learned about how rich our culture and colorful our history is, and we should be proud of it! I have learned on how applicable and sustainable are our indigenous practices and spiritual philosophy in today’s modern lifestyle, chaotic and rat race society. However, I also uncovered the unfair biases, the painful discriminatory stereotypes of being indigenous and the struggles for genuine freedom and indigenous identity. Up to now, many if not all indigenous people especially the young face drugs, alcoholism, crime and unjust incarceration, illiteracy and no access to quality education, malnutrition and teenage pregnancy, unemployment, underemployment and servitude, prostitution and trafficking, homelessness and informal settling, landlessness and land grabbing, chemical poisoning in mining areas and plantations, poverty and a lot of the other societal issues more compared to any other Filipino. But, the Philippine Constitution, the highest law of the land, declares us as part of the Filipino society of equal dignity to any ordinary Filipino. So, why are there injustices? More over, with the on going process in Mindanao, most indigenous group are not consulted and the indigenous issues are not even part of the priority agenda of the negotiating parties. It speaks a common denominator that the indigenous people are not given so much importance and value like those other sectors in the negotiating table? I hope my assumption is wrong.

More than the injustices and discrimination from the outside world, there is also a growing bias perception from within. A portion of my fellow indigenous people does not consider people like me as indigenous. No matter how our hearts believe that we are indigenous; most of our fellow indigenous elders consider us mestizo that means mixed and not a pure blooded indigenous. Therefore, we have no space to be part of the indigenous community and culture. We are somehow outcast, would you believe that?

With such, I dream that someday that our elders and fellow indigenous community can accept us wholly even if we do not know anymore the language. Our hearts and desire are complete manifestations that we have compassion for our fellow indigenous people. Ultimately, I dream also that one day we are going reclaim to the world that being indigenous is something not to be ashamed of. We should be proud of our culture, history and our people!

My story and the stories of the other indigenous young people from around the globe is a continuing story of struggle for genuine freedom. Unless we, especially the young people, stand up and advocate to the world in a non-violent way that we exist and that we have dignity like any human being, then we are doomed to experience the fate of our ancestors. We should unite in synergy to reclaim our stake in the world as indigenous people! And we should be proud in saying: we are indigenous people of centuries old sustainable, peaceful and just culture!
Writer:
Patrick Asinero, OIYP Mentor and Motivator for 2010-2013, is an indigenous young person from the Bukidnon tribe of the Philippines and is currently on a year Atlas Corps Fellowship at the International Centre for the Missing and Exploited Children in Washington DC, the USA