Cordillera Indigenous Healing: Wellness, Worldview, and CAM (Day 1)

Cordillera Indigenous Healing: Wellness, Worldview, and Healing Systems

  • Overview of the presentation and focus

    • Short overview of Cordillera indigenous worldview and wellness practices embedded within it.
    • Emphasis on holism and interconnectedness within the culture.
    • Key frame: the circle metaphor (small circle, big circle) used to describe holism.

  • Characteristics of the Cordillera worldview (as introduced in the session)

    • Four elements of the indigenous worldview to be explored.
    • Central idea: holism—interconnectedness among self, family, community, land, and unseen spirits.
    • Emphasis on relationships: between individuals and their physical body, emotions, thoughts, spirituality; between the individual and the land; between the individual and the community; and between the seen and unseen (spirits).
    • Interconnection emphasized with land, ancestors, God, and nature spirits.
    • The circle metaphor is used to illustrate how these relationships are nested: center = rooted in land; middle circle = belonging to a community; outer circle = connected to unseen spirits.

  • Four elements of Cordillera worldview (as presented in slides)

    • Element 1: Rootedness in the land (mountains, rivers, springs, resources, plants, animals; environment as a source of life).
    • Element 2: Belonging to a community (family, clan, kinship groups; intercommunity relations; social support).
    • Element 3: Connection to the unseen (God, ancestor spirits, nature spirits) as guiding lights.
    • Element 4: Interconnectedness among health and well-being across body, feelings, thoughts, and spirit (and how these relate to land, community, and unseen beings).

  • The circle model and its significance

    • Center: being rooted in the land (subsistence, resources, sacred ground).
    • Middle circle: belonging to a community (family, clan, kinship, intercommunity relations).
    • Outer circle: connected to unseen beings (God, ancestors, nature spirits).
    • The model embodies holism: harmony, balance, and reciprocal care among all three domains.

  • Health and well-being in Cordillera worldview

    • Health/well-being = harmony among the three core relationships (self-body, self-emotions/thoughts/spirit) and the social/land/unseen connections.
    • Interconnectedness as a core determinant of health: if one aspect is out of balance, illness may arise.
    • Rituals and offerings are used to reconnect the spirit and restore wellness.

  • Relationship triad of health and wellness (interconnectedness framework)

    • 1) Individual body, feelings, emotions, thoughts, and soul.
    • 2) Individual-to-family/kinship/clan and to the broader community.
    • 3) Individual/community with the land and its resources.
    • 4) Individual/community with the unseen spirits (God, ancestors, nature spirits).

  • The land as the foundation of life

    • Land provides subsistence: food, shelter, clothing, medicines, resources.
    • Attitude toward land: care, deep respect, gratitude, responsibility.
    • Values tied to land use: restraint in gathering, taking only what is needed and leaving the rest for others.
    • Values include frugality, industry, hard work, and honoring honest labor as a blessing and a way to give back to the earth.

  • Unseen beings and sacred spaces

    • Unseen beings/spirit world includes: the supreme God, ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and a person’s soul/spirit.
    • Ancestral lands/territories are considered sacred ground where unseen spirits live among humans.
    • People are sensitive to the divine presence in the world around them.

  • Belonging to community: social and ethical foundations

    • Community includes family, clan/kinship, and intercommunity relations.
    • The community provides physical, psychological, and spiritual support through shared values and cooperative actions.
    • Outsiders are welcomed but expected to cooperate; mutual aid practices are common.

  • Examples of Cordillera values and practices (three examples)

    • Mutual help during vital life events (birth, weddings, death) ensuring physical, emotional, and spiritual support (Bin Nadang).
    • Shared labor (Bin Nadang, work groups for building, planting, harvest; e.g., panillo/inayan as social controls to preserve harmony).
    • Community sharing and redistribution (Sagaok): sharing harvests and production with women/children; collective responsibility.
    • Inayan/Panill o (Kaganga, Paniyo, etc.): social taboos that prevent harm to others, unseen spirits, and the environment; use of taboos to prevent bad outcomes.
    • Kashiana: assurance of a better future amidst negative circumstances; expressing care and hope; whispering to oneself when facing adversity.
    • Shame (inayan as a behavioral regulator): avoiding harm to others or to the environment to prevent communal shame.

  • Health and wellness through interconnections (practical implications)

    • Wellness is achieved when there is harmony among the lines of interconnectedness (body, family, community, land, unseen spirits).
    • Rituals and offerings are integral to life events and healing; they help identify causes of illness (signs, dreams, visions) and prescribe healing rituals.
    • Healing modalities rely on a combination of physical practices and spiritual/ritual elements.

  • Practical health practices and healing resources

    • Land-based healing resources: medicinal plants (wild and cultivated), minerals/stones, oils (e.g., lana, coconut oil), water, minerals, hot springs (Ma'init Hot Springs in Mountain Province; Assin Hot Springs in Baguio area).
    • Sapoy (breath energy) and saliva used in healing practices.
    • Healing rituals include prayers and offerings to secure safe use of natural resources (springs, rivers, forests, mountains, fields).
    • The unseen and nature are considered active guides in healing through signs, dreams, and visions.

  • Healing rituals and life milestones

    • Rituals performed at birth, after cord falls off, weddings, death, or after life, as thanksgiving and to ensure health and well-being.
    • Rituals of thanksgiving for bountiful harvest and to ensure ongoing harvest.

  • Peace and harmony across communities

    • Budong (Peace Pack) and related practices (Vuchong) promote peace, safety, and harmony between villages.
    • The Peace Pack also has implications for physical safety and health, not typically present in Western medicine.

  • Recap framing for memory and future study

    • Remember the three core interconnectedness themes: rooted in land; belonging to community; connected to the unseen.
    • Recall the circle diagram and the three inner relationships as a mental model for indigenous health and healing.

  • Transition to the next segment

    • The talk shifts to the Indigenous Healing in the Cordillera by Six Two and subsequent presenters, exploring empirical research and documented healing practices.

  • The Cordillera Indigenous Healing Research by PIKP (2022–2025): purpose and scope

    • PIKP’s advocacy for protection and promotion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSIKS) since 2017.
    • Transformative Pathways project (2022) includes health as a work area; need for data (books, articles, news) to guide advocacy.
    • Stories collected from IP communities, documented in books and shared via Facebook and talks; partnerships with academe and CSOs.

  • Objectives of the research

    • Promote and strengthen advocacy on indigenous health and wellness (IHW).
    • Review existing laws, policies, programs, and initiatives related to IHW.
    • Document stories of experiences, beliefs, and practices in Indigenous healing and wellness (IKS).

  • Methods and target population

    • Key informant interviews (KIIs) and group discussions; literature review; scoping review.
    • Target population: indigenous healers, patients, and witnesses.
    • Target area: Baguio and nearby areas; consent obtained; privacy protections for informants (named/anonymous).
    • Sample size and outputs: 27 informants; 35 stories; 121 respondents in the CAM cancer study; respondents include healers, patients, and witnesses; majority of healers >50 years old; some under 51; migrant and local participants.

  • Five thematic groups of healing and wellness (as organized in the study)

    • Nature’s healing resources: medicinal plants; minerals/stones; sun heat; barefoot massage with stones; honey as medicine; other plant-based remedies.
    • Indigenous healing rituals: group healing rituals for individuals or communities; prayers and ritual acts.
    • Other wellness and healing modalities: simple prayer, touch, clairvoyance, and other related practices.
    • Community initiatives: community activities around health; death rites; Tauley home gardens; medicinal plant initiatives; CHED/DOH-DOST-backed health programs; training and community health worker programs.
    • Government and institutional initiatives: birthing facilities; ADIP (Ancestral Domain Investment Plan) for health; DOH NCIP collaboration; health research consortia; regional health research and development alliances.

  • Government and NGO initiatives highlighted

    • Birthing facility initiatives to provide options for birthing positions; culturally sensitive birthing environments.
    • DOH, NCIP, and LGU engagement; Joint Memorandum Circular on culture-sensitive health services for IPs.
    • Health research funding and development partnerships (DOST-PCHRD, regional health research consortia, academic repositories).
    • Institutionalization of indigenous health representation in health governance (indigenous representative in health promotions committees).

  • Medicinal plants and pharmacognosy in Cordillera (Ruth S. Batani, Palina/Kadaklan project)

    • Documentation of 70 medicinal plants used to treat 37 illnesses; 101 medicinal plants identified region-wide.
    • Plant parts and preparation methods highlighted: do not uproot entire plant; use leaves/fruits; harvesting practices.
    • Identification of reliable knowledge holders: healers, health workers, hunters, field workers; elders and ordinary people are knowledge custodians.
    • Ethnobotanical data collection methods included informed consent and community co-authorship with local communities.

  • Kadot (Kadot) of the Ibaloys: change and continuity in a changing landscape ( Ellen Mae M. Tabang )

    • Kadot = a Dakot ritual (ancestral/spiritual healing practice) involving offerings to ancestors and the spirits for healing and thanksgiving.
    • Kadot is described as living heritage and a healing practice for both illness and social cohesion; it is costly and requires elders/leaders with knowledge of the Kangana/Kafuan lineages.
    • The practice is intimately tied to clan relationships and the well-being of the Ili; the ritual involves calacal (bones/ancestral remains), meat offerings, and symbolisms associated with healing and thanksgiving.
    • Challenges include rising costs, availability of elders, and the need for proper leadership to carry out Kadot; efforts to keep Kadot alive include community funding adjustments and family/nilai-based arrangements.

  • Place-based healing and Kinship with Ili: Karil May Neena’s presentation

    • Ili = social community with spiritual dimension; includes the concept of the adikálila (unseen) and the pínachings (nature guardians).
    • Healing is relational and place-based; it requires dialogues within the community among Umili (people), the Ili, and the unseen.
    • Rituals (Taoist-like rituals, sapu prayers) function as dialogue to restore connection among people, spirits, and land.
    • The Ili includes four barangays: Agid, Pidlisan, the mother village, and Bangaan; the speaker’s personal narrative centers on returning to roots and rethinking healing to bridge modern medicine and indigenous care.
    • Four stories illustrating place-based healing: trauma (ababik detach), Mama Sapano (spirit return after death outside the home), takba (sacred ancestor basket) and its neglect causing illness, and pollution of land disturbing guardian spirits.
    • The four stories illustrate a place-based theory of healing that integrates land, kin, ancestors, and spirits into health paradigms.
    • Call for rethinking theories of healing beyond Western biomedical/psychological models to include place-based, relational approaches.

  • Stories illustrating place-based healing and illness etiologies

    • Trauma and dissociation: ababik detach (soul detachment) leading to illness; ritual prayers restore the missing soul portion.
    • Mama Sapano: death away from home requires returning the spirit home for healing and balance.
    • Takba (sacred basket) case: takba houses an ancestor’s spirit; when taken away or neglected, illness emerges; healing requires returning the takba and performing rituals.
    • Pollution of land: agrochemical disturbances disturb nature guardian spirits; illness results; healing requires ecological balance restoration and ritual prayers.

  • Implications for theory and practice

    • Proposes a place-based theory of healing: healing is not just individual mental/physical healing but a reconnection with self, kin, land, and spirit.
    • Emphasizes relational healing and community-based care, integrating IK with biomedicine.
    • Encourages policy and program development that respect cultural practices while maintaining safety and quality of care.

  • Experience of mental illness in indigenous communities (Heather)

    • Elders identify seven causes of mental illness (within Ibaloy/Cordillera worldview):(
    • Ababik detach (soul parts detached) following trauma;
    • Refusal to accept healing from spirits; hearing voices as signs; social withdrawal; and difficulty communicating.
    • Temporary insanity after exposure to hazardous substances or toxins (e.g., certain mushrooms);
    • Resorting to drugs; seeking help from psychiatrists or rehabilitation centers.
    • Mental illness is understood as relational: it occurs within the context of relationships to self, physical environment, social setting, and spirituality.
    • Implication: Western mental health models may need to be rethought to be more community-driven and relational; emphasize collective healing rather than purely individual cognitive approaches.
    • Recommendations: reframe mental health services to involve communities, kin networks, and elders; emphasize relational healing; avoid pathologizing spiritual experiences when culturally appropriate.
    • The challenge of integrating spirituality and healing into mainstream services; the need for culturally congruent care.

  • Seeded Kawilhan Taot: The Healing Journey of Mamangu (Maureen E. Gayas)

    • Focus on integrating IK with patient care; steps include qualitative case studies with key informant interviews.
    • Ritual practices include cafe (Thanksgiving with dances) and ritual cycles, including a period of abstinence (three days and three nights) to preserve healing purity.
    • Emphasizes that healing involves both traditional and modern medicine, complementing rather than replacing conventional care.
    • Advocates for culturally congruent care and partnerships between healthcare workers and indigenous healers.
    • The healing journey is not purely medical but also cultural, spiritual, and relational.

  • Open forum, response, and policy implications

    • Post-session open forum for questions from IPMRs, LGUs, and DOH; emphasis on inclusion of diverse voices (IP communities, healthcare professionals, students).
    • Topics included dengue preparation, pharmacopoeia, safety considerations, and the need for culturally sensitive health planning.
    • Participants emphasized collaboration between traditional healers and Western medical professionals; the importance of IP health representation in governance (local health boards).
    • Discussion of Joint Memorandum Circular on cultural sensitivity in IP health services and the roles of NCIP, DOH, and DILG.
    • Calls for capacity-building, documentation, and upskilling to better integrate indigenous healing systems in mainstream health systems.

  • Takeaways and overarching themes

    • Indigenous health and healing are deeply relational and place-based, anchored in land, kinship networks, and unseen spiritual dimensions.
    • Health is holistic: it encompasses physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and ecological well-being.
    • Healing involves rituals, reciprocal relationships with land and spirits, and community participation.
    • There is value in integrating IK with Western medicine, provided safety, rigor, consent, and cultural respect are maintained.
    • Policy and practice should center community voices, protect indigenous knowledge, and promote culturally appropriate care models.

  • Closing reflections from day 1

    • Emphasis on the necessity of returning to one’s Ili (home/peoples and land) for authentic healing.
    • The belief that “Illy is home” and healing cannot happen in isolation from land, ancestors, and community.
    • Acknowledgement of ongoing challenges: discrimination of indigenous knowledge, access to elders, sustainability of rituals, economic pressures, and integration with modern healthcare systems.

  • Certificates and recognition (brief)

    • Resource speakers were acknowledged with certificates of appreciation for their contributions to the conversation on indigenous wellness and healing systems.

  • Final note on the session’s aim

    • To bridge indigenous healing frameworks with modern health systems and to foster dialogue across communities, practitioners, scholars, and policymakers for more holistic health outcomes.