Indigenous Philippines people weave by dreams
In the mountains of the southern Philippines lives an Indigenous community with a unique weaving tradition. A spirit called Fu Dalu is believed to inspire the design of the tnalak (also spelled t’nalak and tinalak), a hand-woven cloth both native to and sacred to the Tboli (T’boli, Tiboli).
Fu Dalu is the goddess of the abaca plant, whose fibres are used for the tricolour fabric. She supposedly enters the dreams of Tboli women. These women are called “dreamweavers”.
One of these dreamweavers is Barbara Ofong, whose story is told in a new book by Vancouver author Sandie Oreta Gillis.
“Barbara was fifteen when she first encountered Fu Dalu in a dream,” Gillis writes in Weaving Our Dreams: The Tboli People of the Philippines (FriesenPress).
Fu Dalu not only communicates with Ofong through the Tboli woman’s dreams—she guides her with the design of her tnalak. “In her dream, Fu Dalu sometimes takes on the form of a lizard, frog or snake. Barbara will incorporate the skin pattern of the animal into the design of the tnalak. Sometimes Fu Dalu takes on the form of a person in the dream.”
Gillis related that making a tnalak is a lengthy process, sometimes taking up to three or four months to finish a six-metrelong piece of fabric.
“When the weaving process runs smoothly in every step, Barbara knows her spirit guide has helped her,” the Vancouver author writes.
The Tbolis consider the uplands of South Cotabato, a province in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, as their traditional territory. They are known for their colourful costumes, as well as for original music and metalwork.
Gillis became interested about the Tbolis from her conversations with Francis Herradura, a Surrey artist who has visited the community. Herradura would later design and illustrate the book.
In a phone interview, Gillis said that she wants to share the story of the Tbolis through their art. “Art brings us all together,” Gillis told the Straight.
The author explained that art provides a bridge among different peoples. “When we understand the art of another, we also get to know each other more,” she said.
Gillis was born and raised in the Philippines. She moved to Canada in 1983 and has remained connected with her heritage. Herradura also hails from the Philippines. The two met when Herradura joined Dimasalang III International Artist Group, a Filipino artists’ group in Vancouver that includes Gillis.
In 2021, Gillis and Herradura founded the Narragila Culture and Arts Foundation in Vancouver. The nonprofit’s name combines narra, the national tree of the Philippines, and agila, the Philippine eagle. “Diverse cultures offer distinct creative expressions seen in their art and daily way of life,” Narragila states on its website. “Learning and appreciating different cultures and traditions through their art forms broaden our understanding of societies and of people. By celebrating each other’s uniqueness, we foster a sense of belonging and a sense of pride.”
In the interview, Gillis said that while writing the book, she often thought of her nieces who were born in Canada.
“I hope to make them proud of their Filipino heritage too,” Gillis said. Weaving Our Dreams: The Tboli People of the Philippines also features Maria Todi, a Tboli musician who has established a cultural centre called Lake Sebu School of Living Traditions in the Philippines to preserve the community’s traditions. g