ABSTRACT
Cordillera cultures have experienced tremendous change with the emergence of assimilationist policies of the Philippine State. Today, younger generation Cordillerans possess different notions of their heritage based on standardized education curricula promulgated by the Philippine government. In the last decade, however, locally instigated cultural revitalization movements aim to stimulate community interests on disappearing cultural traditions. As an example, Cordillera weaving practices have emerged as a venue for cultural expressions and economic ventures for local groups. This development has led to heritage conservation programs supported by income from weaving. This has also opened the floodgates for appropriation. In this article, we present two case studies that highlight how weaving revitalization provide both motivation for heritage conservation and income to communities. We look at the Cordillera Textiles Project (CordiTex), a multi-disciplinary research project using approaches from the social and natural sciences to analyze traditional textiles and examine how they are transformed in the contemporary period. The project documents extant textiles no longer woven by local communities, due to the demise of master weavers and the decline in significance of traditional weaving. Master weavers transfer knowledge through oral tradition and by learning-by-doing. As such, the intricate patterns and the processes of weaving were scarcely, if ever, documented. A second case study looks at Kiangan, Ifugao, weavers under the tutelage of Ifugao master weavers, obtaining knowledge through learning-by-doing. In this venue, trainee weavers learn traditional craft and designs from elders, combining elder knowledge with contemporary patterns. As such, the Ifugao case provides contrast to the machine-assisted CordiTex project. The latter complements the traditional technique by using digital loom technology and highlights the various directions we can take in revitalizing weaving in the Cordillera. We emphasize that changes are inevitable; communities respond to these changes in creative ways with new institutions that empower local weavers, engender ethnic identity, and sustain Cordillera weaving.
