Aeta Women Indigenous Healers in the Philippines: Lessons and Implications
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AETA WOMEN INDIGENOUS HEALERS IN THE PHILIPPINES: LESSONS AND IMPLICATIONS by Rose Ann Torres A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Rose Ann Torres 2012 AETA WOMEN INDIGENOUS HEALERS IN THE PHILIPPINES: LESSONS AND IMPLICATIONS Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Rose Ann Torres Graduate Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto Abstract This study investigates two central research problems. These are: What are the healing practices of Aeta women? What are the implications of the healing practices of Aeta women in the academic discourse? This inquiry is important for the following reasons: (a) it focuses a reconsidered gaze and empirical lens on the healing practices of Aeta women healers as well as the lessons, insights and perspectives which may have been previously missed; (b) my research attempts not to be 'neutral' but instead be an exercise in participatory action research and as such hopefully brings a new space of decolonization by documenting Aeta women healers‘ contributions in the political and academic arena; and (c) it is an original contribution to postcolonial, anti-colonial and Indigenous feminist theories particularly through its demonstration the utility of these theories in understanding the health of Indigenous peoples and global health. There are 12 Aeta women healers who participated in the Talking Circle. This study is significant in grounding both the theory and the methodology while comparatively ii evaluating claims calibrated against the benchmark of the actual narratives of Aeta women healers. These evaluations subsequently categorized my findings into three themes: namely, identity, agency and representation. This work is also important in illustrating the Indigenous communities‘ commonalities on resistance, accommodation, evolution and devolution of social institutions and leadership through empirical example. The work also sheds light on how the members of our Circle and their communities‘ experiences with outsider intrusion and imposed changes intentionally structured to dominate them as Indigenous people altered our participants and their communities. Though the reactions of the Aeta were and are unique in this adaptive process they join a growing comparative scholarly discussion on how contexts for colonization were the same or different. This thesis therefore joins a growing comparative educational literature on the contextual variations among global experiences with colonization. This is important since Indigenous Peoples' experiences are almost always portrayed as unique or ―exotic‖. I can now understand through comparison that many of the processes from military to pedagogical impositions bore striking similarities across various colonial, geographical and cultural locations. iii Acknowledgements The production of work never happens solely alone. While the responsibility for any errors or omissions is wholly my own, the generation of the work and credit is the result of a network—a kind of ‗talking circle‘ in its own way. I wish to first thank The ALMIGHTY GOD for the gift of life, loving kindness and for sustaining me throughout this process. I wish to give my deep appreciation to the 12 Aeta women healers:--you open your hearts, your wise teachings and help me understand your identity, agency and the notion of representation-Kada kayo amin, agyamank unay iti tulong ken anus yo nga nakisarsarita kaniak. To Professor Paul Olson, my supervisor, you have in so many ways shared with me your wisdom and knowledge in my area of study. You supported and helped me since I started my doctoral degree continuously until I completed my thesis. Thank you so much for everything. To Professor Eileen Antone you have my gratitude for your valuable knowledge and for accepting my invitation to be one of your students in this thesis and other work in understanding Indigenous and all people, Chi- Miigwetch. To Professor Jean-Paul Restoule, for giving me the opportunity to teach one of your courses at OISE. You included me in your research projects and also your valuable insights for this thesis, Chi-Miigwetch. To Professor Linda Tuhiwai Te Rina Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou), my external examiner for your valuable/inspiring feedback and for the knowledge on how to decolonize dominant research methodologies, Nga mihi nui koe (thank you very much). I wish to thank Professor Linda Smith‘s helpful assistants Nadia Jones and Keely Smith for transferring materials and forms. Without your too often overlooked work our communities work (including my iv own) would not be completed. Kia Ora/Kahore/Nga Puhi. To Professor Peter Sawchuk, thank you for the feedback. To Professor Tanya Titchkosky, thank you very much for your support and encouragement. I also owe my deep gratitude to the staff in our department who works so hard for all the students. To Paul Tsang, Kristine Pearson, and Cindy Sinclair thank you for your support. I would like to also thank Isabella Chiu for her comprehensive editing and brilliant success in ‗translating‘ my work from ‗English‘ to ‗standard English‘. You have abilities and gifts far beyond your age. I would like also to thank my family: My husband, Dionisio Nyaga, for your great love, support, and most of all, your prayers to our Lord Jesus. You dedicated so much of your time to read and re-read this thesis: asante sana for everything; To our beautiful daughter, Waywaya-Weruma Nyaga, for your love and inspiration throughout my undertaking of this academic journey. To my wonderful mother in the Philippines, Norma Llaneza Torres, for your unfailing love, great support and prayers-- nanang ko ay-ayaten ka unay, para kenka daytoy balliggik. To my father, Abraham Torres, who passed away in 2002. I know that you have been with me unflinchingly in spirit-- tatang ko agyamanak iti ayat nga impa-ay mo kaniak ay-ayaten ka unay daytoy pinagbaliggik ket maigapu kadakayo. To my brothers, Danilo and Ferdinand Torres and my sister Emily Torres, I offer my gratitude for your love and support, agyamank unay iti anus ket ayat yo kaniak. v To our family in Kenya: our mom Jacinta Muthoni Nyaga-- asante sana for your love and prayers. To our sister Sophie Karimi and our brothers Moses Gitonga and Victor Kinyua Kavengi, asante sana for your love. To Manang Lyn and Bobby Erezo for sharing child care—you know you have my love: I have assigned you my ultimate trust. And thank you last but hardly least to all the Professors, students and members of the OISE/University of Toronto community and beyond: Thank you all for your scholarly and human sharing. vi Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... iv Chapter I: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 The research problem and purpose of the research ......................................................................... 19 My Personal Location ......................................................................................................................... 21 Significance of Study .......................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter Overviews ............................................................................................................................. 32 Chapter II: Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines ............................................................ 34 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 34 An Overview of the Philippines during the Pre-colonial Era ................................................ 34 Colonization in the Philippines and its impact on Indigenous Peoples ............................................ 40 The Aeta Women Healers .................................................................................................................. 47 Chapter III: Literature Review and Theoretical Frameworks .......................................... 54 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 54 Indigenous Women in the Philippines and their Knowledge of Ethno-medicine ............ 54 Theoretical Frameworks .................................................................................................................... 72 Indigenous Feminism ......................................................................................................................... 74 Anti-colonial Theory ........................................................................................................................... 89 Postcolonial Theory ............................................................................................................................ 98 Chapter IV: Methodology...................................................................................................... 110 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................