Join us for the Inaugural Kapwa Collective Speaker Series:
B A T O K – Kalinga Tattoo Markers of Identity: From Indigenous to Diasporic

Saturday November 3, 2012
Place:  519 Church Street Community Centre
Address:  519 Church Street, Toronto (Canada)
Times:  6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Reception;  7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Program

Free event.  Donations welcome.
PLEASE RSVP:  kapwacollective@gmail.com

F e a t u r i n g :
Storytelling of tattoo journeys by three Filipina Canadians
Multimedia art by Kristina Guison and Jo SiMalaya Alcampo
Photography by Ruel Bimuyag
Presentation by Anthropologist Analyn Salvador-Amores, University of
the Philippines.Art Playground by Peace Quest:

– Nail Art by Trish Padlan of shopNowhereland.com
– Jewellery Making (Bracelets & Necklaces) for kids in the Philippines
– Temporary Batok Inspired Body Tattoos

In early 2011, two Filipina Canadians in their 20s set out separately
on a journey from Toronto, Canada to a remote village called Buscalan
in the Kalinga province of the Philippines, a place known for its
magnificent rice terraces and tattooing traditions. Later that year,
another Filipina Canadian in her 20s made her own trip to Buscalan in
the company of Dr. Analyn ‘Ikin’ Salvador-Amores, an anthropologist
based at the University of the Philippines, Baguio who completed her
graduate research in Kalinga tattooing culture and its mark on the
diaspora.

The three women from Canada embarked on their personal journeys with a
common goal: to receive the gift of tattoo from Apo Whang-Od, a woman
in her 90s who is one of the last remaining tattooists in the region
to still use indigenous design and method in her work.

In BATOK – KALINGA TATTOOS, Markers of Identity: From Indigenous to
Diasporic, we will explore why these young women felt compelled to
undertake this journey halfway across the world to receive a Kalinga
tattoo from Apo Whang-Od, a woman who has dedicated her life to the
intimate and spiritual practice of tattooing. In the process, we also
hope to explore why it is important for people in this day and age to
make links with Indigenous Peoples whether they are in the
Philippines, Canada, or any other nation-state in the world.

The Kapwa Collective is a group of Filipino-Canadian artists, critical
thinkers, and healers who work towards bridging narratives between the
Indigenous and the Diasporic and between the Filipino and the
Canadian. We are a volunteer-run, mutual support group that aims to
facilitate links among academic, artistic, activist, and other
communities in Toronto.

Batok – Kalinga Tattoos is the first event in the Kapwa Speaker
Series. Admission is free but donations are encouraged. All proceeds
go towards making Kapwa events inclusive and accessible. Refreshments
and Children’s Playroom are available during our event.

Come learn with us.

About Dr. Analyn ‘Ikin’ Salvador-Amores:

Dr. Salvador-Amores is a Social Anthropology professor at the
University of the Philippines-Baguio. She has done research on Kalinga
traditional tattoos in the diaspora. Other research interests include
anthropology of the body, non-Western aesthetics, ethnicity and
identity, colonial photography, visual anthropology, representation,
textile research, material culture, death and funerary rituals, museum
studies and anthropology of development, with a regional focus on
Southeast Asia, specifically the Kalinga province in the Philippines.
Dr. Salvador-Amores is the first Filipina scholar to graduate with a
doctorate in Social and Cultural Anthropology at Hertford College,
Oxford University. Read her work here:
http://oxford.academia.edu/AnalynSalvadorAmores/Papers

About the Multimedia Artists:

“Sound Marks” is a mixed-media installation/performance piece by
Kristina Guison, a Filipina Canadian visual artist currently studying
Sculpture & Installation at OCAD University. Kristina explores
different mediums ranging from tattoos, dye paintings, block prints,
and acetate installations to candle sculptures. Learn more about
Kristina’s work at http://kristinaguison.com/

 “We Are Kapwa People” is an installation by Filipina Canadian
multimedia artist Jo SiMalaya Alcampo in collaboration with LGBT/Queer
Filipino Canadians and allies, exploring the sensual, sublime and
spiritual symbolism of indigenous patterns and tattoos.  Jo is an
OCADU alumna whose art practice integrates storytelling,
installation-based art, and electroacoustic soundscapes. Learn more
about Jo’s work at http://www.josimalaya.com/

 “Untitled” is a photography presentation of Cordillera landscapes and
people by Ruel Bimuyag, an Ifugao photographer and Culture Bearer
specializing in Ifugao chants, rhythms, dances, and instrumental
musical pattern. He says, “Scholars on the Cordillera tend to predict
the demise of our region’s indigenous cultures. I observe that our
culture is alive, thriving and evolving. Through my photographs, I am
building a ‘positive portfolio’, a testament of our indigenous
cultures and to the depths of my roots.” Learn more about Ruel’s work
at http://blauearth.com/tag/ruel-bimuyag/

About Peace Quest:

Peace Quest is about connecting various people, communities & organizations together. Our mission is to empower, inspire and educate people in hostile environments. Peace Quest focus’ on creative ideas and innovation, to influence positive transformation. Right now we are focusing on helping communities and fostering relationships with organizations in the Philippines. Peace Quest also works with local communities groups (local and abroad) to get the youth involved and help them find purpose in their lives. We encourage the youth to think with an innovative mind set and manifest ideas to benefit the world. We stick to our creed: To inspire, empower and educate.

Kapwa Collective:
Blog: kapwacollective.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kapwacollective
Contact: kapwacollective@gmail.com

Peace Quest:
Web: www.peace-quest.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/peace_quest
Contact: contact@peace-quest.org