Alick Tipoti (Torres Strait: Badhu Island, Kala Lagaw Ya, b.1975)
Kisay Dhangal, 2016
Sculpture, bronze with mother-of-pearl inlay
194 × 202 × 102 cm, 280 kg
Australian National Maritime Museum 00054952
"Inscribed with traditional motifs and pearl shell, Kisay Dhangal reflects the life cycle and feeding patterns of the dhangal (dugong) in the Torres Strait Islands. The dhangal is captured in the position known as San Tidayk, in Kala Lagaw Ya language which marks the moment the mammal flips its tail to dive down and graze on the sea grass beds. A marine dust trail between the tail and figure of the moon emphasize how lunar cycles determine dugong feeding and mating habits."
Hi just wanted to check in with you i hope youre doing fine i know sometimes everything feels shitty and you just want to quit but hey it will pass like it does even if it takes a bit longer just hold on do it KHUD keliye YOU are the one deserves it more than anyone bcs you were there for yourself always and you will be so YOU are precious KHUD keliye before anyone else and what do we do with smth precious we take care of it and be patient on days we just want to give up okay so dont give up on yourself you have come this far and that just proves how much brave youre you did it once twice countless times YOU can do it APNE liye
Yes, I am doing just fine. I know it'll pass and only way to survive is by being positive, yes, I am doing it for myself only waise bhi mujhe lagawe kisi se hai nahi, I am trying not to give up and slowly things are changing and getting better!
nag lagaw kmi and ara siya, and mas nag lessen ang huya ko siya kay daw kabaraghal na to sang tsura ko and wala na gid ko labot kay daw going to hubogers na ko sa wala na ko na concsious pero never man kmi nag one-on-one talk kay wala man kmi storyahan hehe dason naman at least batyaganay na cool lang kmi *tne 😆
pro super enjoy ko daw nadula man kapoy ko, dason naman tne yeyyy gnight
I mentioned in the last article that I’ve been to Ifugao to see the traditional dance on June 11th. I stayed there 2 days and went around there so I’m going to talk about that!
Gotad Ad Festival has not only dance performances but also street food or exhibitions outside.
Each exhibition expresses their own character of their municipalities. I entered that of Asipulo. They were selling some vegetables and rice wine from there.
One of my guide's friends invited us to stay at her home and we went to her home in Kiangan municipality. It took about 1 hour to go there from Lagawe by tricycle.
My guide bought a live chicken from the market and cooked it for us. I was surprised because it was my first time to see cooking a live chicken.I heard that in ancient times, they also cooked chicken at a feast in Ifugao. They cook chicken with a lot of respect to their lives. Although at first I was surprised, it was a good experience for me to think about taking the other’s life for our meal. We had chicken that night and the next morning, it was so delicious!
Next morning, I walked around there and saw rice fields. I felt very good to breathe in the fresh air in Kiangan!
My guide’s friends took me to some places in Kiangan. I saw Ambuwayan Lake.
After that we went to Kiangan shrine. Kiangan is a place that General Yamashita had given in to in WW2. There is a museum that explains and exhibits pictures about what he did there. There is also an Ifugao museum that has textiles of each municipality in Ifugao. I had experienced how to make stitches from cotton.
I was planning to go back to Baguio by ban leaving Banaue at 5PM. However we got to Banaue at 5:30 and every way that I can go back has left. Then the other friend of my guide invited us to stay at her home. But her home is located in Asipulo municipality, so we went there by bus and tricycle and it took about 2 hours!
We arrived and my guide’s friend and her parents welcomed us. They are so kind to tell me “Balik ka!”(Come back again). I saw a beautiful sunrise in the early morning, before I left.
I had some accidents but there was a good meeting with my new friends in Ifugao. In addition, I could visit 4 municipalities in only 2 days!! I hope I can visit rice terraces next time:)
Artist: Billy Missi (1970-2012)
Sapur Au Kubi (Dark Flock of Bats), 2006
linocut print 12/90 69x100cm
Cairns Art Gallery
Artist info:
Place of Birth
Mabuiag (Jervis Island), Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia
Language Group
Kala Lagaw Ya. Totem: Koedal, Kaigas, Dhangal
Clan Group
Wagedagam, Gumu, Pania
Artist notes:
"During mango, almond and cashew nut season a lot of Sapur (Flying Foxes) come to our village and gardens.
When the sun begins to set in the western sky, the Sapur usually come in flocks from the thick mangroves that fringe the coastline.
The Sapur only come out at dusk to raid the fruit trees so that people cannot see them. Otherwise they would be targeted by hunters and chased away. Despite this they do make a lot of noise as they feed.
The Sapur suck the juice out of the fruit and dispose of the rest making a lot of mess under the trees. They do this all night until morning breaks when they take flight back to their isolated, thick scrubs and mangroves.
Growing up in the islands in the 1970's, these sightings were common during fruit season.
It is our uncles who tell us that whenever flocks of sapur approach the gardens, the fruit is ripe.
This image shows a large number of Sapur flying to the village to feed on the fruit trees. They circle above the trees to choose where they will feed for the evening." - Billy Missi
omg lately bala du waay dn may ga initiate neither kanamon mag ask for dates or mag plan dates???? i mean like literal bala nga ga plan tna ky most of the time pirme lang "din ta madto" "idk" "pende nimo". Kay like du mag hagad lagaw isipay pa kamo din madto hahahahha. Way lang random thought lang. Tas du kung indi ako siguro mag hagad ma date kami or maglagaw di mn kami makitaay hahahahah like pira pa ka weeks after makitaay kami if buhay dn way meet bwhahahah. Waay lang gusto ko lng ma exp ang du ga plan dates hehe. Pay du ka oa matian pay very real if ever kamo maka exp ra. Like du waay effort??? i mean ga effort mn pay ano lng hahahahaha ewan di ako sure di ko alam du ka mixed feeling like du maski admit mo nga du indi mn gd big deal angay ra pay deep inside du tama ka big deal gd or gina isip mo gd nga angay ra eh ahhahahahahahahha. Pay sge lang siguro busy pa mn abi pay angay ligad to pag long weekend du way mn gd ti planned date to wahahhaaha. Like ga expect ako smth more kay tapos dn ang hell week kg exams teh ma pakasadya kami or whatsoever py everytime ma gwa kami du may smth gd ma tabo bwahha what is diszzzxxx.. HELP YO GIRLIE OUT THEREEEEEE HUHU.
Siguro du less than 5 times lang kami may planned date gd? i mean literal nga date gd wnahahha way lang gusto ko lng quality time tas planohan gd indi nga gaubos lang oras namon sa isipay diin maadto ending mauli mn lang gale haha. kitaay mn tuod kamo py pag uli mo may sakit pa kaw nga buot mung hahahaha
I went to Lagawe municipality, Ifugao province on 11th June and saw the festival there!
That was my first step for my research about the traditional dance in Ifugao.
Lagawe is the municipality where the Dinuy-a dance was born. It takes about 1 hour by jeepney from Banaue, which is the center of Ifugao, to go there.
There were also exhibitions of arts and bike races and so on at the gym of Don Bosco High School. And then outside, they have lots of street foods or exhibitions that express characters of each municipality in Ifugao.
I’ve mainly seen dance performances held there.
Dinuy-a dance was born in Lagawe and then spreaded among Ifugao, so these are a bit different depending on the municipality. My home town Tokushima also has their own traditional dance named Awaodori, each group also has different ways of dance. I ‘ve been thinking there are similarities.
This event is a competition and each group is on behalf of their own municipality. There are judges in front of dancers and dancers from other municipalities are sitting around and watching them.
The most impressive thing is that some of them are holding chicken during the dance and sometimes they are flying! It was surprising for me to use a living creature in their performance!
I couldn’t stay long and even see rice terraces which is their signature. Guide accompanied me and I stayed at his friend's house located in Kiangan and Asipulo. I’m happy to experience the lifestyle of a provincial city and I hope I will be able to write about that sometime.
Next time I will stay there more long so I will proceed my research more:))
Community Report: Opening Program of Inter Barangay Basketball Game
Barangay Villar ginhiwat ang una nga adlaw kang Inter Barangay Basketball Game nga ginhiwat kang petsa Mayo 13, 2023 alas dis sa hapon sa covered gym kang Barangay Villar.
Sa pira ka tuig nga wara kita ka celebrar kang mga okasyon patas kang fiesta, mga sipal kag iba pa nga mga okasyon ay sigurado gid nga nahidlaw run ang mga taho nga maglagaw-lagaw kag maglantaw kang mga paragwaon ukon mga sipal amo ra nga nagpasya ang mga SK kang Barangay Villar nga mapasipal tanda kang Inter Barangay Baskeball Game para nga malingaw man ang mga taho hambal kang sangka SK nga si Bamvie Zamora ll.
Ang sipal nga Inter Barangay nga diya ay pangarwa palang nga ginhiwat umpisa nga nagka-covid amo ra nga ginhimo nanda nga Inter Barangay para raku nga tahu malantaw kag masmasadya kaysa sa una kay ang una kno Inet Purok lang amo ra nga gamay lwbg galantaw hambal kang SK kang Barangay nga si Ronald Zamora.
Hambal ni Melanie Garcenila gin-umpisahan ang Opening Program kang alas dos sa hapon raku nga tahu naglanatw kapin pa kay may mga muse ang bawat mga team amo ra nga gasiringgitan ang mga sultero nga mga laki. Sadya-sadya ang mga tahu nga galantaw. Subra man pulo ka barangay ang nag-iririntra sa sipal, sa Barangay Villar gintunga sa tatlo ka team ang grupo kay raku ang mga nag-intra kada purok.
Bag-o pa lang nag umpisa ang sipal pero raku run ang mga galantaw. Kada team may manog singgit kapin na gid ang mga taga bongbongan nga halos batiun ang anda limog sa esperanza sa subra ka gahud hambal kang sangka tahu nga galantaw sa sipal.