Photo: Blaan Dance as featured performance
Roswell, GA
Cross of Life Lutheran Church hosts an international dinner and silent auction on Saturday, April 24 at 6pm. The fundraising event will help COL's Social Concerns international outreach in Africa, India & the Philippines.
A Blaan Dance will be featured during the event. It is a cultural dance interpretation in relation to the beliefs of the Blaan tribe in upland rice farming. The dance opens with playing of the two-stringed guitar called Faglung. It is followed by asking God to guide the farmer in choosing the right field or plot to plant, blessing of the plot and then planting rituals. The final act is the thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest as a result of the blessing from God.
The music for the performance was originally composed and produced by the Tubad Performing Arts Group of Malapatan, Sarangani Province.
History or Background of the Blaan Tribe:
The indigenous peoples constitute a significant segment of Philippine society. The indigenous peoples of the Philippines are generally regarded as those who have opted to retain their customs and traditions, most of whom remain steadfast to their ancestral domains. The Blaan tribe is just one of the 110 indigenous peoples groups of the Philippines.
The Philippines National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) described the Blaan tribe as another proto-Malayan indigenous peoples group particularly in Southern Mindanao Provinces of Davao del Sur and South Cotabato (http://www.ncip.gov.ph/resources/ethno_detail.php?ethnoid=47). The Blaans are the most numerous of the indigenous peoples group of the newly formed Sarangani Province (www.sarangani.gov.ph). They are found mostly in five municipalities namely Malungon, Malapatan, Alabel, Glan and Maasim. Since ancient times, the Blaans have populated both upland and coastal areas and subsisted primarily on upland agriculture using indigenous technology founded on field rotation. Blaans called the world Banwe or Tah tana. Blaans called their god Dwata, a male god who cannot be described since nobody has seen Dwata in heaven. Dwata is as compassionate as a human being and always expects people to obey him. The people oftentimes pray for Dwata’s blessings and for their wishes to be granted.
The Blaan symbol for religion is the bird called Almugan. The bird serves as a messenger for Dwata. It warns people when disaster is about to come. It also announces the coming of prosperous days. The evil Dwata lives in stones, balite trees, or in the creeks (sbang). Dwatas easily get offended. They are offended when their domicile is distributed or destroyed, when somebody speaks of evil things, or when mortals name them. Those who have offended them must ask forgiveness and offer a deer or a chicken as a sacrifice (damsu) in the place where Dwatas are disturbed (Gloria, et. al. 2006).
The B'laans practice swidden agriculture or the kaingin system as the main source of livelihood (http://www.ncip.gov.ph/resources/ethno_detail.php?ethnoid=47). They grow upland rice, corn, sugarcane, banana, papaya, and other root crops. Some of their crops are used as barter commodities in exchange for tools and other utensils that they need. The B'laans observes certain rituals in their upland rice planting cycle. In these rituals, they make offerings to their deities requesting for signs to know where to best make a clearing for a particular planting season. The Blaan sing songs during planting and harvest of rice. They sing lamgi wherein everyone joins in the singing.
Today, most of the Blaans have been evanglized with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are involved with different protestant churches/denominations in southern Mindanao, Philippines. Rituals and traditions are usually commemorated during community festivities.
For more information about the Internation Dinner & Silent Auction, please visit www.crossoflifega.com
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