B’LAAN PEOPLE-INDIGENOUS PEOPE SUBJECTpptx

Lecture Notes for INDIGENOUS PEOPE SUBJECT

1. B’LAAN PEOPLE

2. The  B’laan people , are one of the  indigenous peoples  of  Southern Mindanao  in the  Philippines . Their name could have derived from " bila " meaning “ house " and the suffix " an " meaning " people ". According to a 2021 genetic study, the B’laan people also have Papuan admixture.

3. The Blaan are neighbors of the  T'boli , and live in  Lake Sebu  and T'boli municipalities of  South Cotabato ,  Sarangani ,  General Santos , the southeastern part of  Davao  and around  Lake Buluan  in  North Cotabato . They are famous for their brassworks , beadwork, and tabih weave. The people of these tribes wear colorful embroidered native costumes and beadwork accessories. The women of these tribes, particularly, wear heavy brass belts with brass "tassels" ending in tiny brass bells that herald their approach even when they are a long way off.

4. Indigenous B’laan religion Some of the deities in the B’laan pantheon include: Melu – The Supreme Being and creator. He has white skin and gold teeth. He is assisted by Fiuwe and Tasu Weh . Sawe – Joined Melu to live in the world Fiuwe – A spirit who lived in the sky. Diwata – A spirit who joined Fiuwe to live in the sky

5. Tasu Weh – The evil spirit. Fon Kayoo – The spirit of the trees. Fon Eel – The spirit of water. Fon Batoo – The spirit of rocks and stones. Tau Dilam Tana – The spirit who lives in the underworld Loos Klagan – The most feared deity, uttering his name is considered a curse.

6. Weaving tradition The B’laans have a system of weaving using  abaca  fiber .  The art of abaca weaving is called  mabal  or  mabal tabih , while the cloth produced by this process is called the  tabih . B’laan weavers do not use spinning wheels. Instead, they join together by hand strands of the abaca fiber, which are then used to weave the tabih . Fu Yabing Dulo  was one of two surviving master designers left of the  mabal tabih  art of  ikat  weaving .

7. Brass and copper work and beadwork The B’laan have a tradition of creating art from brass and copper .  The B’laan smelt brass and copper to produce small bells and handles of long knives. These knives, called the  fais , are made with intricately designed brass. The B’laan also sew plastic beads or shell sequins to create intricate designs on women's blouses and trousers, called the  takmon . Geometric and other designs depicting the environment or the solar system are sewn using cotton yarns onto men's pants and shirts, called the  msif .