Indigenous Land and Education: A Bi-National C omparison

1. Indigenous Land and Education: A Bi-National Comparison

2. Overview • Analyze indigenous issues in two nation-states which are former western colonies • Philippines and India • Education and Land among four indigenous groups • “Indigenous”: who/how is it defined?

3. Questions • How are state-level policies manifested at the level of marginality that these groups exist in? • What are the similarities between Indian and Philippine indigenous policies? Differences? • What role does The West play in this relationship?

4. The Philippines Illongot and Agta indigenous groups

5. Illongot • Population estimated at 2,500 • Island of Luzon (hills of N. Luzon) • Subsistence mostly hunting and gathering/fishing, slash and burn farming • Known as headhunters

6. Illongot Land Issues • Deforestation major issue in region • Indigenous peoples forced to move into highlands • Highlands becoming populated • Logging industry increase in 1970s • Attempts to limit slash and burn • New groups had no knowledge of slash and burn • Reforestation programs

7. Illongot Education Issues • Tagalog as national language • Spanish Church and ethnic identity • State schools build on periphery (access) • Christian organizations • Ecological education

8. “Negritos” (Agta) • Original inhabitants of the Philippines? • Population = 31,000 • Misconceptions of a “pan-Negrito” identity • Agta people

9. Agta Land Issues • Occupation of land • Logging and mining • Mt. Pinatubo eruption of 1991

10. Agta Education Issues • State mandates have not focused directly on the Agta • Role of Catholic organizations • Geographical location as barrier

11. India Gond and DongriaKondh indigenous groups

12. Gond • Largest indigenous tribe in central India • Population estimated at 7.4 million • Historical formations

13. Gond Land Issues • Land occupation and the state • Participation in War of Indian Independence • Government acts give hope of land redistribution

14. Gond Education Issues • School building regulations negatively affect tribal populations • Revised policies since the 1980s • Role of NGO’s

15. DongriaKondh • Part of Kondh/Kondha group (pop. 800,000) • Live in the eastern state of Orissa, India • Speak Kui • Population estimated at 8,000

16. DongriaKondh Land Issues • Forest dwellers • Horticulturalist • Worship Niyamgiri Hills • Battling surface mining • Opposition to development = world view

17. DongriaKondh Education Issues • Dongria value traditional knowledge • Development and migration • Poverty of progress • Education does not reflect way of life

18. Recap • Bi-national analysis of: • Land and education issues • State’s role in indigenous issues • Philippines • Illongot • Agta • India • Gond • DongriaKondh

19. Conclusions • How are state-level policies manifested at the level of marginality that these groups exist in? • What are the similarities between Indian and Philippine indigenous policies? Differences? • What role does The West play in this relationship?

20. Thank You