THE Ata tribe in Davao City dwells in the hinterland of Paquibato District, the northern part of the city. More than being known for their dark color and predominantly curly hair, they have managed to hold on to their other characteristics despite the ravages of time.
Ata Tribe Deputy Mayor Roel Arthur Ali shared in an interview that they are upbeat in keeping their ethnic identity, culture and traditions as authentic as possible.
“Usa sa mga papel as leader sa tribo, kailangan gyud nga padayon nga ma edukar ang mga kabataan labi na sa among kultura (Our role as tribal leaders is that we need to continue to educate the youth regarding our culture),” Ali shared in an interview.
Ali admitted that one of the challenges they are facing is how to entice the youth in their tribe to embody the culture and characteristics of Ata, considering the emergence of technologies that are gradually influencing the children in the upland.
Based on their tribal profile, Atas occupy the hinterlands comprising the headwaters of Davao, Tuganay and Libuganon Rivers. Their name means “people of the highlands.”
The Atas reside in frail huts made of woods, palm leaves and bark of trees built on trees.
Ali said they built an institution two years ago, in the upland village, which seeks to promote and uphold their culture. It is called Panuluanan School for living traditions situated at Sitio Sorayan, Barangay Colosas, Paquibato District.
They’ve been engaging their youth to develop better understanding in their traditions under the new millennium to ensure that it will be permanently etched in their mind and heart.
Ali said they conduct orientations for their scholars to remind them of their roots so they will not forget these and will help nurture it for their fellow Ata and Dabawenyos to appreciate.
“Naay close coordination with the IP scholars kay dili lang sila magtoon didto kundi pati pod sa ilang kultura [We closely coordinate with our IP scholars so that they will not only learn academics but also the culture of our tribe],” Ali said.
Living traditions
With the recent staging of Kadayawan Festival 2017, it highlighted the diverse culture of 11 tribes of the city. The City Government initiated an idea which will further showcase the culture and practices of the tribes through building Kadayawan Tribal Village nestled at Magsaysay Park.
Aside from the tourism impact, the tribal village created an avenue for the tribal leaders to display and allow the public to experience their life in a tribal community by going in to the huts and talk to the natives.
Ali said the house they built is called Binanwa. It is a house of the tribal leader where he receives complaints from his constituents and settles these.
“Actually sa Ata Tribe mga 80 percent practice pa namo ang among kultura. Usa lang sa mga worries sa pagkakaron, kining among mga kabataan nga sumusunod (Among the Ata people, around 80 percent still practice our culture. Our main worry is on the next generation),” he said.
At present, they still weave baskets of different designs and make colorful beaded materials. They also make handicrafts and other products made of local materials as one of their sources of livelihood. They still wear their traditional attires in the upland up to now.
In their tribal house at the cultural village, they displayed their Bangkaw or spear, a weapon used by their ancestors to defend the tribe.
Outside the house is the Bangkakaw, a round timber hung on a wooden frame that is thumped with poles by a group of women and a couple of men, and sometimes by a child who runs around the group of men and women, hitting the log with wooden sticks like a drum, producing a rhythm with a higher tone against the bass of thumps by the adults' poles.
The Ata tribe in Paquibato alone numbers 30,962, but there are more in Davao del Norte such as in Talaingod and Kapalong.
Relationship with the City Government
Ali said the Davao City Government played a major role in cultivating their culture and attain the right to self-determination as it never wavered in giving importance to their contribution in the heritage of the city.
“Diri sa Davao City, nakita namo ang atong LGU nga nagapakita gyud ug dako nga supporta labin na pagkakaron sa Kadayawan, labi na ning tribal village (In Davao City, we have seen the that the LGU have shown a huge support especially in Kadayawan),” he said, saying they recognize the leadership of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and her efforts to make people better understand the tribes living in the city.