Jandy S. Danzalan, from
the institute of the Philippines. wrote a Research Article about, Crafting
Sustainability: Indigenous Artisanship in Yantok Chair Production. Entitled, Exploring
the throne: Creative indigenous artisanship and notes to sustainable Yantok
chair production. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES). an open access scholarly
research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International
Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary
research journal publisher.
Abstract
There is overwhelming literature that explores the Yogad Tribe community. However, scant research focuses on their Yantok chair production, specifically on how the artisans shared creativity, indigenous knowledge, and ways of facilitating creative indigenous artisanship against the ubiquitous synthetic Yantok chair in the market. While the study of creativity requires an in-depth analysis of the subject, including how cognitive innovation transpires, it is still interesting to understand and operate these constructs in the study. I plan to problematize how indigenous knowledge or practice and cognitive innovation interplay within the community of Yogad artisans in their Yantok chair production. Subscribing to creativity and cognitive innovation tenets, I conducted this focused ethnographic study that spans a month to make headway in proving the creativity of Yantok chairs. It is likewise a fitting agenda to discuss inputs that empower the community to rekindle and sustain their passion in their industry.
Introduction
The Yantok chair has been considered the premium rattan product of the indigenous artisanship of the Yogad Tribe, an indigenous community known for Yantok chair production in the Philippines. While there has been extensive research exploring the Yoga Tribe, especially on their language (Davis et al., 2007; Grande, 2008), rituals, and literature (Galot, 1988; Sabio, 2016; Toquero, 2008), and education (Quirante, 2018), there is a glaring absence of empirical research focusing on their shared creativity, indigenous knowledge, and ways of facilitating the creative indigenous artisanship against the dominating synthetic and imitation of the Yantok chair in the market.
Suppose one were to argue that both are creative, I advise against the sole use of subjective measures, taking the presence of a spectator (Colton et al., 2011) but rather observe creativity as "relative to a context and a norm" that necessitates both "effectiveness relative to the given norm and originality relative to the given context" (Colin, 2017, p. 29). It is equally important to ask the epistemological question of knowing creativity and what it constitutes. However, addressing this question leads to the problematization of the valuation of creativity that depends on various dimensions (Kristensen et al., 2017). For this very reason, I had much interest in exploring this subject while thinking about how this study could best contribute to resuscitating in advance the soon-to-be dying industry and intangible heritage of the Yoga Tribe in the Northern Philippines.
Considered the 'cream of the crop' among the other rattan wood products of the Yogads, the Yantok chair has established great prominence in the province of Echague in Isabela and neighboring provinces. Like how a throne is visualized, the artisans ensure that Yantok chairs are made with magnificence and aesthetic elegance. These distinct features are not only for its architectural designs as they are likewise engineered with durability despite lightness and cultural imprints, arguably constituted by other significant aspects of cognitive innovation, indigenous knowledge, and cultural processes ((Denham and Punt, 2017). The Yantok chair production has proven its economic significance in the region. However, while the Yantok chair soared high to fame, internal and external pressing issues exist, including but not limited to the competition against the synthetic chair embodying similar designs and the decreasing young generation following the traditions of Yantok chair production.
Understanding the dynamics of indigenous knowledge, cognitive innovation, and sustainability within the Yogad artisan community warrants a deeper exploration, considering the gaps in current research. Prior studies have touched on aspects of indigenous practices (Mellegard and Boonstra, 2020), and highlighted the importance of cognitive innovation (Denham and Punt, 2017) and creativity (Colin, 2017) in various contexts. However, a comprehensive investigation specifically focused on how these elements intersect within the Yogad artisan community remains notably absent.
While some literature acknowledges the significance of indigenous knowledge in craftsmanship Mellegard and Boonstra (2020), a nuanced understanding of how it interacts with cognitive innovation to foster creativity within this community remains an unexplored terrain. Moreover, while sustainability has been discussed broadly, its application tailored to empower communities like Yogad artisans in sustaining their craft has received limited attention.
Hence, this study aims to fill this crucial gap
by delving into the intricate interplay between indigenous knowledge, cognitive
innovation, and sustainability within the Yogad artisan community. By examining
these dynamics, the study seeks to shed light on how these factors influence and
shape the creativity and longevity of traditional craftsmanship. Ultimately,
the findings aim to offer practical insights and strategies that can empower
the Yogad artisans to revitalize and sustain their passion and industry.
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