In The Land of a Tribal MashUp
by: Rose Cortez
​ 
Apo
Whang
Od
Filipina
​Kalinga
Master Bamboo Tattoo Artist
99 year old
Mambabatok Elder
Woman
Fearlessly
tap tap taps
Sticks and Pokes
Roots of 
Resilient
Mountain Eyes.

Friends, Families, Artists, Travelers, and Tribes
Witness her creative vibes 
for a day or days or weeks and months...
to sit with Women Elders and the many Elders around.
Their Beauty Marks on their Skins
I learned and discovered their sound of
Tap tap taps.

A MashUp 
Collections of People,
in the land of Kalinga
where heaven and earth 
suddenly meets 
where strong men and women work and sleep.
Where rice fields grow effortlessly
and
the mountains cradling our destinies.

It was time
for me
To be One with 
Organic
Roots, Rituals and Traditions.

Up in the Cordillera Mountain Province...

We huddled!
Together we witnessed the Unfolding of Beauty 
A Trend 
to Meet her and Be Marked by Her.
For sure...
But Why?

You see
I am Filipina-Canadian
And
I was not born from Apo Whang Od’s Tribe
Just like you
I was interested to learn from a Filipina-Kalinga 97 year old Tattoo Artist.
I heard that she began passing down her Ancient Tattoo Art works in her mid 80’s.
And you see...

As First-Generation Filipina, I grew up watching and learning from my Grandmothers!
Working on Organic Rice Fields
 Planting Onions and Garlic
Laughing out Loud with their Mangoes.
At the Rice Farm eating certified organic pork and chickens, while they smoked their homemade Tobaccos
In Rituals!

So when I heard about
Apo Whang Od
From Filipino-Canadian friends who were already tattooed by her.
I knew I wanted to meet her.
A Filipina Elder Woman tattooing Roots of Beauty to everybody.
Marks that we have forgotten from our Filipino-Canadian History.
Apo Whang Od awakening all of us to remember our Beauty Marks!
Teaching us and the generations next
 to remember where we came from.
To respect the colour of our skin!
To embrace our MashUp
 collections of Roots and Beauty
and
to keep continuing our quests of
reconnecting our Stories.
So that we can create healthy Beauty marks of conversations
Within the 
Filipino
And
Canadian
Communities.
 
In January 2015…
I went on a Journey.
 
I decided to leave the comforts of my yoga studio in Vancity and went back to the place where I was born.
The city that I left when I was 13.
Manila was a moment in time.
 
Here we are
Learning the Lessons of the Filipinas Past
About a specific tribe like Kalinga
“The Northern part of the Philippines who were able to Resist
 a 400-year Spanish Colonization
A Filipino Tribe who kept up with their traditions
and rooted their beliefs even during the American time.
Where Women have a ‘high degree of autonomy’
Filipinas who were never ever
confined to their homes…”
Filipinas who were never victimized by race, class and culture.
“And if Sexually Violated…
They defended themselves
By using  their ‘Traditional Rituals’”
Tap Tap Taps
With the Filipina Kalinga
“RAPE
Does not exist”
Or else…
(Pritt Brett, June “Gender Relations and Gender Issues on Resource Management in the Central Cordillera, Northern Philippines")

As soon as I arrived in Manila
I planned my trip to Kalinga!
 
I knew I wanted to see her.
To meet a Grandmother
Who is marking Roots of Beauty to everybody!
 
I mean
It's happening and it's a good thing
She’s
Gathering a Collective Creative Community 
from different diversities and tribes of people from many blood lines.
We huddled around Her 
Listening intently
to that sound…

Tap tap taps!
Roots of Charcoal
Pine
Land, People and Nature
Sticks and Pokes
on skins of different
blood
lines!
She welcomed us with her smile.

Beetle nuts stained
rooting red dyes
on beet dark coloured tongue.
She welcomed us with her smile.
Blood Stained Roots of Pine
of snakes and centipedes
Dripping down from the tip of the citrus thorn
passing down marks of 
Resilient Mountain Eyes.
She welcomed us with her smile.

We huddled around
witnessed and listened
intently  
to that constant sound
tap tap taps

We waited...
watched Apo Whang Od and Grace 
sticks and pokes
one by one by one collectively marked.
Tap tap taps
Roots of Pine
Land, People and Nature
Sticks and Pokes
on skins of different
blood 
lines!
She welcomed us with her smile.

Together we came
No matter what tribe we were from
We came
No matter the nature of our spirits 
We gathered
No matter the meanings of our travels.

Together
We were
Awakening
Trending 
Watching
Learning
and Receiving Blessings of Roots, Traditions, Art and Beauty of Land, People and Nature.
 
Fearless Filipina Howling Spirit Elder 
With dark eyes so still
on my skin
and blood and lines.
Manjamana
for marking my arms with
Roots,
Art,
and Beauty. 
Continuously Growing inside of me,
Organic Roots of Charcoal, Bamboo, Citrus and Pine
Your Ancient soul 
Persists, Grace and Fearless Creation.
Passing Down Roots of Resilient Mountain Eyes.

Fearless Filipina Howling Spirit Elder of Kalinga
Manjamana 
Cordillera Mountain Province
for your 
Spring flowing Water,
Organic rice terraces,
Beautiful spirited Kalinga,
For Welcoming us to your Tribe.
Now Marked Beautifully 
Forever
Roots of Resilient Mountain Eyes!!!

Flowing inside of me and now energetically flowing inside of you
Listen...
You hear?
That silent Tap tap taps
Roots of Pine.
Listen...
Silently 
Close your eyes
Breathe it in
and
Breathe it out
Collectively we can hear!
Elders and elders and elders...
of different blood lines
Collectively we can hear!
The drumbeats of this land’s
Elders
Of the unceded Coast Salish Territories…
Energetically 
we are awakening to that sound
tap tap taps
Flowing through Each and One of us.
Linking us together by a thread 
from that moment in time
Tap tap taps
Roots of Pine 
Listen and witness the many Lessons
of the Sticks and Pokes 
on skins, blood and pine.

Apo
Whang
Od
Your Eyes so still
Elder Filipina-Kalinga
 Woman
still
tap tap taps 
still
tap tap taps
still
tap tap taps
Beauty marks 
of
 Resilient Mountain Eyes!