Methodology
The methodology I used for this project was qualitative in design. I conducted interviews with two Filipino designers who live in my home state of Florida. Finding people who are fluent in native design AND construction techniques outside of the Philippines was not an easy task.
After not receiving calls or emails back from the handful of Filipino cultural organizations in Florida, I took a recommendation from my mother to call a family friend who helps us ship back clothes and canned goods to my grandmother in the Philippines. It turns out our family friend Ferdy also sells advertising space for a major Filipino newspaper in America, and is connected to a wide network of professionals and creatives in our cultural community. Word of mouth is how I connected to my expert sources, and I was lucky to interview two individuals that have spent over a decade working in the space of Filipino indigenous fashion in a couture/modern aesthetic.
I actually intended to do more field research by going out to Filipino cultural events where I could see native clothing interpretations and natural materials up close, but I had to revise this strategy to desk work because of a lack of indigenous-specific events around my area. I ended up scouring the internet for deeper information, like the meaning behind symbols used in textiles, how to extract plant fiber to make fabric, and how the natural world is reflected in ceremonial dance attire.
Data Analysis
My findings confirm the harsh realities natives have to face in the Philippines. Ancestral land loss due to government seizure of land for corporations combined with political and systematic discrimination of Philippine natives are the biggest challenges. Many of the tribes I researched are nomadic due to heritage, but due to the dwindling state of their natural habitats, many have moved to the city to try to integrate into a new life because of financial challenges.
Senator Loren Legarda is an amazing political advocate, and has helped address a major economic problem that many tribes face with her creation of a Tribal Hall. Mountainous tribes like the Bagabo, and others that are isolated because of their indigenous way of life, oftentimes find it difficult to carve out a living because they don’t have a place to connect to tourists and sell their cultural items.
I analyze this data through a lens of activism that is two-prong in strategy:
Media - Native groups in the Philippines are marginalized communities that don’t receive a lot of positive press coverage. Using photos, videos, and articles to promote awareness about the cultural richness of indigenous Filipino culture is necessary to keep the culture and conversation alive. Media representation in the context of the fashion world is extremely important as well, as Filipino designers and aesthetics are not widely represented in spaces like New York and Paris fashion weeks.
Social Entrepreneurship - Native Roots is my intention for a company that gives back to the earth and the native people. My ideal company would give tribal artisans the opportunity to earn a living wage that enables them to save and reinvest into their tribal communities. Through my research I learned that many of these same natives also grow the materials they create clothes out of like Pineapple, Coconut, and Abaca. Many of the ancient farming techniques that respected the land have been diluted down with modernization and the arrival of slash and burn farming and pesticides. A portion of the profit would go towards investing in an eco-friendly sustainable farm project that is authentically indigenous from seed to skirt.
The methodology of interviews and extensive desk work has been effective for the time I had available to me. There are over 101 ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines, and I only touched the surface of what was available to me online. If I had more time, I would expand my methodology to field research that would take me straight into the heart of tribal halls, and indigenous settlements. I am eager to take video footage, and extensive notes of the techniques that goes beyond me learning from the experience of others online. I think that participating in the process of cultivating the crop, creating the fabric, and then finally creating the garment will provide the deepest level of full-circle comprehension on this research topic.