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When Gods Cry: Exploring Environmental Crisis Through Literature Inspired by the Indigenous People’s Experience



Author(s)

Genevieve Jorolan-Quintero

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2013.10.002

University of the Philippines Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines

The recent devastation caused by natural calamities in the Philippines has prompted the government to initiate programs that might not altogether prevent but at least minimize the dire effects of future disasters. Among these programs are the information campaigns to promote awareness among the communities in calamity-prone areas. Several symposia that provide venue for the discussion of environmental “bads” have been conducted, but none yet has explored the perceptions of the indigenous peoples, staunch “defenders” and protectors of the environment who themselves are victims of such calamities. This paper seeks to highlight the perceptions of the indigenous people on the causes and impact of environmental “bads” through literature inspired by their experiences. When Gods Cry is an unpublished anthology of fiction inspired by the author’s interaction with indigenous communities in southern Philippines while doing research on oral traditions. Three works of fiction are discussed in this paper, namely: The Old Man and the Mountain (2012), Loom of Dreams (2012), and Waterfall (2012). Each of these works highlights the indigenous people’s struggle to protect their ancestral domains and the environment, their home, against external factors. Thematic literary analysis is used in the discussion of the contents of each work.

Philippine indigenous communities, oral traditions, folk lore