Celebrating the Galleon Trade?
This news item reminds me of an encounter I witnessed about a decade ago at a conference. A group of economists from Spain, whose expertise is on the "economic gains of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines," encountered historians from the University of the Philippines who spoke of the psychic and epistemic violence of colonialism among Filipinos. What was supposed to be an academic dialogue about the economics of empire-building became a confrontation and call for an accounting and responsibility; it became an emotional exchange. At one point, historian Milagros Guerrero recounted the violence visited upon the natives and to the land itself. I remember her saying that the old growth trees were so huge that it would take half a dozen people holding hands around the trunk -- these were felled to build galleons. She spoke of how the Babaylans were beheaded and fed to crocodiles because the friars were afraid of their powers.
The Spanish economists didn't expect that they would be called upon to respond to this accounting for a historical past that they are were not a part of. They are only economists and shouldn't be held responsible for what their ancestors did, they claimed. (Sounds familiar?) I remember the moderator trying to restore the dialogue to a strict academic discourse, but it was too late.
One moment that stood out for me is to witness the response of Fred Cordova to this encounter. He said that he has never heard historians from the Philippines before and certainly not this version of history. He was visibly affected by the stories he heard. And at that moment it was as if something - a window, a door opened up for him - a more profound appreciation of his historical self: a Filipino with a long history of resistance against colonialism. At that time, Uncle Fred has not been to the Philippines and later that year I heard that he had returned to the Philippines, paid homage to Rizal, was honored at Malacanang, met his relatives, et al. He has come home full circle. The vision of FANHS expanded and would be transformed, I believe, from this encounter.
Thus, when I read news items that focus on wanting to showcase the Philippines and the galleon trade, I feel saddened and conflicted. Sad because I sense that historical amnesia makes us, again and again, not want to revisit the past and critique it. This time in the name of Globalization. Sad because I see the connection between the galleon trade and the impoverishment of the Philippines. The galleon trade is a symbol of the economic success of the empire and now a symbol of the success of corporate globalization. But what has it done to us?
I feel conflicted because I understand the impulse to move on, to forget and forgive. Conflicted because I want the Philippines to shine - as a festival site, as a cultural mecca - whatever it takes to show the world how beautiful and bountiful our cultural capital is. But who benefits most from our human and cultural capital? Is it the majority of Filipinos in the homeland and in the diaspora or is it merely the elites and uppermiddle class folks who also have a hand in the silencing of history so that their privileges are maintained?
In a way this question of whether we should celebrate the galleon trade or not is similar to the question of Indigenous Peoples worldwide: should we really celebrate the genocides visited upon indigenous peoples, the environmental degradation, and thievery of resources that followed the empires wherever they went? If we now live in a post-modern realization of the horrors of this past and we want to live more harmoniously with the peoples of the earth and in balance with the Earth, perhaps we should be asking even harder questions: questions of reparations for example. Reparations for slavery for example (yes, there were Filipino slaves on those galleons!). And so on....
It is clear to me that my reflections always come from a historical perspective that is longer than the view of empires of the modern era. It is my exercise in lucidity and hopefully...in fecundity.
Thank you, Leny, for such a profound post. To "celebrate" the galleon trade is to forget how complex and painful our histories can be. To celebrate doesn't seem fitting at all for such a topic, perhaps to study critically, so we can understand where we are today and determine where and how we will be tomorrow. Would you happen to know what species the trees were that the Spanish fell for their galleons and what regions these trees were in?
ReplyDeletePerhaps acknowledge the galleon trade and take the opportunity to bring forth the correct history and what affect the galleon trade had on the Philippines and its people.
ReplyDeleteThe celebration can be focused on the resurgence of the interest in indigenous Filipino, including Babaylan, history and the enlightenment of the world about this history.
perhaps the word is not to "celebrate" but to "acknowledge". And to the economists who said they are not to be blamed for the past, they are to be blamed for the lack of full-cost accounting and the lack of accounting the opportunity costs of the Philippine people. Full-cost accounting of what their presence meant for the Filipino people and the opportunity costs that our culture paid due to their colonization. They are economists, they understand these terms.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, without the galleon trade and the subsequent colonization, and the extensive Spanish influence permeated into Filipino culture, Filipinos would have been a different people.
The economists are correct, this can be a discussion of economic terms. And we can send itemization of the last 400 years, so they can put that into their equation.
Leny, it is not to celebrate the galleon trade, any more than we cannot celebrate what slavery did to America. But, we can discern the lessons learned from lack of humanity of the slave owners and the compassionate humanity of Americans who were part of the Freedom Riders and the Freedom Schools. When we open ourselves to both the inhumane and humane parts of our histories, we can stop the labelling, we can simply learn, we can forgive the acts, but we cannot forget that slavery caused several millions of Africans to die and from that, the hardiest souls survived and from them, came the jazz, the sports athletes, the Nat King Cole, the Oprah Winfrey and our current President Barack Obama. We can choose to look with more luminous eyes and we are guided by what we want to be!
ReplyDeleteThanks, all, for the comments. This particular news item is about "celebrating" the galleon trade. Clearly, it bypasses the questions we are raising here. As in conservative forms of multiculturalism, "celebrations" are often a tokenistic acknowledgement of history sans acknowledgment, no accountability. I think we should continue to be critical even as we seek to transcend our oppositional stance.
ReplyDeleteAs Filipinos we need to remember that although much gold in those galleons were wrested away from colonized ancestors of the Americas and the Philippine islands... we each still possess an Inner Gold that cannot be touched and that, for many of us, needs to be dug up, shaped, polished and made to shine. This inner gold is a gift to ourselves and others we love and maybe even others we will never meet.
ReplyDeleteI watched the results of the 2008 presidential election from a hotel room in Acapulco, Mexico, with other members of the Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble (PKE). PKE is acknowledged worldwide as a group that presents kulintang music in its indigenous form. We were invited there to perform at a world music festival called "La Nao," referring to the oceanic route that galleons sailed from Acapulco to Manila. This trade introduced coconuts, tamarinds, and mangoes to the Americas. Hundreds of Filipinos who were on these ships (keeping them afloat no doubt) stepped onto Mexican land and mixed in with the local population. Remnants of Filipino communities in Western Mexico can be found from Acapulco to Oaxaca.
ReplyDeleteWhile on the trip I learned that when Acapulco was liberated from Spain to be a part of an independent Mexico, the bond between Acapulco and Manila was so strong that a group of Mexican revolutionaries was sent to the Philippines to try to start a similar revolution there, about fifty years before the era of the Katipunan.
As memories of the galleon trade circulate, let us highlight the bonds formed between oppressed peoples of color.
well said, Perla and Ron!! hopefully the celebration would recognize these nuances you speak of.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment and concern about the festival. On behalf of the organizers of the Dia del Galeon festival, we would like to clarify the purpose of this celebration. Last year, UNESCO approved the global observance of Dia del Galeon on October 8 of every year. The Dia del Galeon Festival explores and highlights the impact the Philippines made globally via the Galleon Trade.
ReplyDeleteWe would like to bring attention to that the Galleon Trade was just as important as the Silk Trade and the contributions by Filipinos, although little known to the rest of the world, were immense. For example, 80% of the crew on the galleons were Filipinos. In light of this knowledge, one of the goals we set out to explore within the multiplicity of events is to reflect on the current plight of Filipino seafarers throughout the globe. The designs of the galleons, and navigational skills through the Pacific were taught by Filipinos, based on indigenous skill and knowledge. We are collaborating with our Hispanic-linked countries such as Mexico and El Salvador via artistic collaboration and scholarly exchange, not to commemorate colonization, but to re-establish our ties, celebrate what we have overcome and reclaim the cultural exchange that happened between us during those years.
We would like to you invite you to celebrate this historical occasion with us and the rest of the Philippines. You are more than welcome to e-mail us at diadelgaleon@yahoo.com. Salamat po!