Talking and Listening to Creation

CULTURAL NOTES

Richard Kinnud

There is this Vietnamese folktale about a man who was rewarded of a magic pearl as he was able to help and show empathy to a serpent genie couple.  This pearl enabled him to talk to animals which became very handy in hunting occupation.  He was able to talk to crows that guided him to the trails of the animals he hunted.  The crow however has to get a share of the innards which the hunter always dutifully left on an agreed place.  A day came though when the crow’s share was stolen before it came to take it.  Believing it was cheated, the crow plotted a way to revenge.  Its act landed the hunter to jail.  While in jail, the pearl once again became helpful.  He was able to gather information from   ants that there would be a great flood.  Authorities did not believe him until the flood came.  Peoples thus believed him and was released from jail.  He continued to use his abilities and in many instanced saved his nation.  Information he gathered from horses and other animals apprised authorities of attacks, calamities, and enemies that aided planning and empowerment.
    This folktale came to mind when I came upon posts on social media about ongoing programs celebrating the Season of Creation.  It is a worldwide movement, primarily representing a number of different Christian Churches, that calls for time of restoration of ecological balance and safeguarding of environmental resources.  Certainly, the responsibility to care for the common home – the Earth and its resources, is a year-round duty.  The Season, which is set from September 1 to October 4 of each year, serves as reminder for such duty, and an opportunity for renewal to such commitment for such calling.  In the Catholic Church, September 1 is World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and October 4 is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.      This year’s theme is “Listening to the Voice of Creation.”
    The website seasonofcreation.org explains that the theme intends to raise “awareness of our need to listen to the voice of creation.”  It cites from the Bible, Psalms 19:1-4 that says “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the Earth, and their words to the end of the world.” The same website begged the question, are we listening to these voices as said by the Psalmist?
    Here in the Cordilleras, environmental conservation is not new.  Even before Christianity came to these mountains, and even before the term “environmentalist” was coined (the dictionary says the first known use of the word is 1902), the different ethnolinguistic groups of the Cordillera have already cultural practices related to environmentalism.  Foremost, there is the recognition that it is not only people who are dwelling on this world.  From this premise emanates certain practices such as making offerings to spirits before say cutting a large tree or occupying a certain area or invading spaces.  Also, it seems inborn for any Cordilleran to be an environmental warrior.  Concepts like “inayan” to Kan-kanaey group or the “paniyo” to the Ifuagos are applied to the environment.  For instance, it is “inayan” or “paniyo” to desecrate mountains or rivers with wastes, to simply cut trees, or to simply burn mountainsides without prayers.  Thanksgiving rituals were also in place and usually not just a family occasion but involves a community.  
    People carved rice terraces, or farms on mountain slopes for root crops, legumes, vegetables, corn, or whatever is there to consume.  People use firewood or make sculptors from trees of the forests.  But there are cultural laws that governs them and people are expected to adhere to these.  A book I came upon had a title that described Cordillerans as people who daily touch the earth and sky because of the sustainable practices.  It meant that the cultural practices are evidence that the people communicate with nature.  But then again, there is the question, have the community and environment continued to communicate?  Or was it simply people imposing itself upon other creation such as lands because it had power to do so?  Was there some cultural changes that now destroys instead of what has been that protects?
    The Vietnamese folktale tells that for as long as the man had that ability to talk to and listen to creation, he was able to do positive things such as having a living and protecting his nation.  There was of course some disruption such as the wrong done by the stealer of the innards that led to miscommunication between the crow and the hunter.  It resulted to imprisonment.  But all these were transcended.
    The ending of the folktale was the tragedy.  The man for some reason lost his magic pearl.  And when he lost it, he also lost his mind.  The story said he died a sad an uncontended person.  Perhaps, this could be a sad ending if we lost our ability to talk to and listen to creation.