Zaharra Mae Arucan

A Book Review on A Mountain of Difference: The Lumad in Early Colonial Mindanao By Oona Paredes Brief background about the book: “A Mountain of Difference: The Lumad in Early Colonial Mindanao” was written by Oona Paredes, a Southeast Asian woman who studies archival history of the Lumads in Mindanao Island, Philippines. This book was published in the year 2013 by Cornell Southeast Asian Studies Program Publications. Paredes, discussed her interview experiences with the tribal datus in areas which she visited--- t’was only within the vicinity of Mindanao Island. Where she enlisted the stories of the resistance of the lumad people against the Spanish colonizers---a reason why they chose to stay in the uplands. And the fact, however, that behind their resistance, some of their members still chose to be converted and be part of Christian community in the lowlands. Putting together her collected data and cross-referencing to authors of related studies, she managed to finish her work and her goal to make the lumad colonization stories to be documented and recognized as part of the general Philippine History. The beginning of the book marked my interest to continue reading its content. The author was very natural and candid, the way she narrated an exposure of an author in the community of the mountains in Mindanao. As I persistently moved on, I felt more likely that I was reading a friend’s narrative note. That is how lightly it was written by the author. An interview with a higaunon datu, Mansumayan of Naawan. The datu was wearing common clothes which does not distinguish him as the high leader and was living at a simple cottage which he find himself convenient and comfortable. The interview started with the question about his experience during the Spanish colonization. A shocking answer was given by the datu as he said that they Spanish were never there--- not in their lands. This interview was an opener to Paredes, as this gave her the idea that the colonizers were not able to completely penetrate the lands of the Mindanao in contrast to that of the Luzon and Visayas camps which was strongly managed and centralized by the Spaniards during their colonization. Now that the Mindanao natives were not colonized, a ringing query echoed in me. Why is it that the general Philippine history did not stated this on published books? Most especially to young Filipino learners in elementary and even in high school? This is a national fact which needs to be recognized not just by college students, but also by the pupils. This is to let them see the bigger picture, that Philippines is not only a place for the majority of Christians and Muslims but also to the people of the mountains, the Lumads of Mindanao. Reading a certain short excerpt, I must say that stories of the mountain people, convey a short but precise message, and this is to announce that the realities of life, does not always reflect your dreams for yourself, or for your community. Another key to remember, is the existence of cross-versions of stories between the different lumad tribes. An example of this is the Ulaging, one more epic, like the story of Agyu, which exists in the tradition of the Manobo tribe of Bukidnon and Hinaunon tribe--- the stories of the 2 tribes has some minor difference but the totality of the story is very similar. As a Filipino critic, I must say that the author was indeed aware and is culturally-sensitive or I must say, respectful, given that she presented local Filipino terminologies with diacritical marks to guide the readers for a proper pronunciation of the alien terms. overall. it was a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.