Wait, we can not break bread with you. You have taken the
land which is rightfully ours. Years from now my people will be forced to live
in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans, and drink
highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the road sides, and you will play
golf. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick
shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims.
And especially do not trust Sarah Miller. For all these reasons I have decided
to scalp you and burn your village to the ground. – Wednesday Addams, Addams Family (1991)
In the movie, Wednesday Addams, a
child of 7-9 was enrolled on a summer camp with his brother, Pugsly. In the
camp, they had various activities including a role playing that entails a
peaceful relationship between the Colonizers of America and the Native American
Indians. But the little Ms. Addams altered the script and stated
the quotation
cited, and then, the supposed to be child-friendly play turn into chaos.
This morning, I, together with my colleagues attended office
an hour earlier than our usual office time to visit a tree planting location
prior to an actual tree planting event days from now. The event is a tie-up
with our mother company, local government, and other private sectors which aims
to plant fruit-bearing trees to alleviate global warming. Alongside with this
project, a known ethnic group in our town will benefit this project by giving
them the responsibility to watch over the trees, and in return, they can
harvest the fruits that the tree will bear in the future.
When the team got in
the site, I saw several members of the ethnic group clearing the location for
the event. I drew closer to one of them and asked “Kuya? Kuya?” (Sir? Sir?) the
native just stared at me blankly. Then I urged to ask again “ Ano pong
panagalan ninyo Kuya?” (what’s your name Sir?) and She answered “Maya”. Ok,
I’ve mistaken the native into a male.
I got confuse because she was dress like a male with her
baggy pants and a t-shirt, plus, her hair was shaved. I’ve asked Maya on why
she volunteered in the clearance of the area where in fact they aren’t paid for
it. According to her, she was quite convinced that the plants to be planted on
the area might help to bring them food and revenue as well.
As I continuously asked questions, the above cited quotation flash-backed. According to history, this ethnic group, if not the first, one of
the first people to inhabit our country, but in recent, they were drove to the
outskirts of towns selling their backyard grown crops and other wood works
downtown to tourists and locals.
In this situation, the members of the group even extended
their efforts to clear an area where they can possibly get food, possibly.
It also came to my mind the teachings of Charles Darwin on
adaptation—that it’s not the strongest species who survive, but those who can
adapt to change.
In this fast-paced
world, the ethnic group remained on their shells and was resilient to
advancement such as technology and education in my observation.
Maybe, just maybe, they are already contented in what they
have for now, being deprived of their lands and the like. Or maybe, they don’t
have the drive like what Wednesday Addams had in the story, a drive to fight for what’s
yours and to drive away those who want to upset the established order.
