Keeping the cultural heritage of Northern Kankanaey traditional potters alive 04.04.2021 - Mountain Province, Philippines - Pressenza IPA “Taga Bila kami nga agdamdamili, naragsak ti biag mi…” We are from Bila who produce pots, joyful is our life, so the song goes.
INDIGENOUS CRAFTS AND CULTURE
“
To be rooted is perhaps one of the most important and least recognized needs of the human soul.” -Simon Weil (1987:41)
Rootedness in one’s cultural heritage: Dayaw di I-Bila (pride of the Bila people)
Rootedness in one’s cultural heritage adds up to one’s sense of self-worth, identity, dignity, and healing. During this extended Covid19 pandemic lockdown, I had the chance to document the intricate processes of “diwin” or traditional pottery-making among the Kankanaey tribe, a group belonging to the Bila Pottery Industry