PEMSEA

Island and Coastal Ecologies Workshop 2024
2024-01-17 - 2024-01-21 | UPV – Miago, Iloilo, Philippines
The seascapes and landscapes of Southeast Asia provide a window into the deep historical connections between the environment and peoples who call Southeast Asia home. These engagements have shaped communities’ relationship with the landscape and provide a backdrop to the intersections among various forms of social, political, historical, and environmental processes. Coastal and island communities, in particular, continue to offer a suite of potential responses to environmental perturbations. This workshop will bring together a multidisciplinary group of scholars and community members to critically examine emerging issues on environmental dynamics in the context of local coastal ecologies. Focused on the intensified anthropogenic and climate change impact on landscapes, seascapes, and cultures, we will address pressing issues of local coastal ecologies by providing a platform where scholars, academics, policymakers, and communities can engage.

LuceSEA Grantee Convening Conference 2023
2023-09-28 - 2023-10-01 | Luskin Conference Center, Los Angeles
The Henry Luce Foundation launched the Luce Initiative on Southeast Asia (LuceSEA) in 2018. The initiative awarded institutions of higher learning with grants to strengthen the study of Southeast Asia. At this convening conference hosted at UCLA, grantee institutions presented the progress of their grant projects.

Cotabato Limestone Artifacts Opening Exhibit & Lecture
2023-04-26 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Fasgi Bayanihan Center, Los Angeles
This educational exhibit features artifacts that were extracted from Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines; purchased by Sally von dem Hagen; shipped to the U.S. ; and most recently donated to Filipino American Service Group. Inc, a local nonprofit organization here in Los Angeles. Following this local exhibit, the limestone urn artifacts will later be repatriated to the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila as part of a larger movement to return cultural items to their appropriate stewards. In Los Angeles alone, there are over half a million Filipinos. This collection is an opportunity for community members to engage in the wider discussion of Filipino heritage, culture, and archaeology, and to be active participants in the reclamation of our collective material culture.
An accompanying virtual exhibit can be viewed here

Where Decolonization Falls Short: A Call for an Archaeology of Redress
2023-04-25 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Room 201, Administration Building, Shuiyuan Campus, National Taiwan University
Lecture by Professor Stephen Acabado, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Archeology Program, Director, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, UCLA
How do scholars approach community-engaged research? Why is there a need to involve community stakeholders in research? What happens when communities engage scholars and invest in the research process? Archaeological practice in Southeast Asia has recently shifted to active engagement with local stakeholders. This is due to the realization that involving stakeholder communities results in meaningful research outcomes. A growing number of investigations are actively seeking the involvement of communities as both contributors and as active and involved research participants. These undertakings humanize our community partners and counter the exclusivity often associated with scholarly authority. In this presentation, I will talk about my collaborations in the Philippines, which provide case studies for meaningful and continuous conversations with community members. I also emphasize the acknowledgement that no one has the monopoly on knowledge creation. However, this approach should be considered the first step in a truly meaningful practice. As archaeologists work on a broad temporal and spatial scales, we can contribute to address and redress historical and social injustices. In this talk, I provide examples were the idea of decolonization falls short by neglecting to grasp the concept of “slow archaeology.” An engaged archaeology, with an emphasis on redress, will change the way we practice our profession, a practice that brings archaeology to communities. It makes our practice a continuous process and not as a one-off field research event.

Indigenous Landscapes and Resource Management in Taiwan and Southeast Asia
2023-02-25 - 2023-02-26 | National Chengchi University, New Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan and Southeast Asia are inextricably linked by historical, cultural, and geographic processes that stretch over centuries into the present. Indigenous perspectives throughout Taiwan and Southeast Asia have been marginalized but have now taken the forefront in discussions on climate change and redress. By bringing together the voices of Indigenous peoples and scholars from many disciplines, the workshops aim to bridge contemporary political and academic boundaries to elicit and examine a more nuanced view of Taiwan and Southeast Asia that centers Indigenous perspectives of land and landscapes.
Indigenous peoples in Taiwan and Southeast Asia have innovatively responded to often-dramatic political, social, and environmental changes for centuries. We view these responses in terms of general ecological adaptations and frame our explanations of these transitions through a comparative perspective that emphasizes the unique advantages of a diverse academic and community networks. This workshop examines methodological and theoretical issues relevant to Southeast Asia and Taiwan from: uses of ethnographic analogy and historical records as data sources; applications of anthropological notions of ethnicity, culture change, historical ecology, and political economy to environmental changes; to collaborations with Indigenous and local populations.

Panel 1: Indigenous Perspectives in Landscapes and History
February 25, 2023, 10:30am – 10:50am
Renewed interest in Indigenous histories and landscape management systems has increased in the last decade. This is partly due to the realization that local histories and Indigenous subsistence systems could help facilitate addressing climate change issues and disaster mitigation. More importantly, however, this interest provides a space for local empowerment, multidisciplinary, and pan-national collaborations. In this panel, we bring together environmental historians and ecologists to discuss the intersections between natural and anthropogenic environmental changes in the past 500 years. Panelists discuss descriptions from documentary sources that chronicle Indigenous and/or local practices that could have contributed to environmental perturbations. The panel will also put forward colonial and state policies that contribute to marginalization of local ecological practices.
Panelists
Karminn C. D. Daytec Yañgot | University of the Philippines, Baguio
Dr. Augusto B. Gatmaytan | Ateneo de Davao University
Dr. Joy C. Capistrano | Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and
Technology
Moderator
Dr. Clement Camposano | University of the Philippines, Visayas

Panel 2: Taiwan and Southeast Asia Climatic Patterns in the Last Millennium
February 24, 2023, 12:50pm – 1:50pm
It has been established that there were major climatic fluctuations between 1400 and 1820 CE, particularly the Little Ice Age and the preceding Medieval Warm Period. In other parts of the world, studies on LIA and its effect on human behavior have been robust, but mostly top-down, emphasizing the role of climate in the patterns of cultural change observed in the archaeological record. Similarly in Southeast Asia, not only is there a very limited investigation on the relationship between climate change and shifts in cultural patterns, almost all studies favor environmental pressures over the suite of human responses. In this panel, we hope to survey what is currently known in terms of climatic fluctuations in the region during the EMP. We aim to highlight that environmental factors play a significant role in human decision-making, but there is limited knowledge on climatic fluctuations in the region during the EMP. Most archaeological studies use environmental proxies to support a model or an argument rather than as a baseline to develop models. We think that this is a consequence of the limited interactions between paleoclimatologists, archaeologists, and historians. Hence, this panel provides a framework on how environmental scientists, historians, and archaeologists can work with each other. The panel will focus on what is known about Southeast Asian climatic patterns in the EMP and potential effects on human options. The panel also discusses how we study paleoclimates and explains the idea of proxies (dendrochronology, pollen, speleothems, and others (e.g. marine sediments). Panel members will also provide an overview of what we already know as well as things that we do not know and want to know.
Panelists
Dr. Paul Barber | University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Michael Griffiths | William Paterson University
Dr. Liang-Chi Wang | National Chung Cheng University
Moderator
Dr. Chih-hua Chiang | National Taiwan University

Panel 3: Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Landscape Management in Taiwan and Southeast Asia
February 24, 2023, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Studies of Indigenous and local ecological knowledge systems started in the 1950s with the emergence of ethno-ecological approaches. Such approaches attempt to understand how a culture categorizes their world and explain the logic reflected behind these categorizations. As such, ethno-ecological investigations argued that such Indigenous and local knowledge systems are place-based, contextualized in livelihood practice, and integrated with the cosmological/social complex. In the 1990s, such localized ecological knowledge rose into prominence because of the need to establish alternative/sustainable development strategies. At this juncture, scholars and to some degree, policy makers, have realized the value of such knowledge systems in enriching the human-environment philosophies and in improving land management regimes. This panel aims to encourage such research programs through crossdisciplinary analysis of the studies that focus on Indigenous ecological knowledge, local ecological knowledge, and landscape management in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Panelists will share their experiences in how they: 1) approach the logic of landscape management in Indigenous ecological and local ecological knowledge; 2) examine current land management regimes that influence Indigenous and local communities; and, 3) rethink the possible contributions indigenous and local ecological knowledge in improving current regimes. The panel also aims to facilitate networking among scholars and provide stronger opportunities to support community involvement in research and policy development.
Panelists
Dr. Krispin Fernandes | Advisor to the Infrastructure Fund, Timor Leste
Dr. Nicholas Gani | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Dr. Chieh-fu Jeff Cheng | National Taiwan University
Dr. Adrian Albano | Ifugao State University
Yi-Chin Wu | Institute of Development Studies
Moderator
Dr. Raymundo Rovillos | University of the Philippines

Panel 4: Partido State University Research Output: Mt. Isarog: History, Communities, and the Environment
February 25, 2023, 9:10am – 11:10am
A successful and continuing research on community resource and disaster management is the collaboration between the Partido State University (Goa, Camarines Sur, Philippines) and UCLA. This panel highlights the research produced by this partnership through presentations that look at the ecology and environment of Mt. Isarog. The panel aims to encourage such research programs and collaborations that exemplify cross-disciplinary analysis of the studies that focus on local ecological knowledge and landscape management in the Partido District of Camarines Sur. Panelists will share their experiences on how they: 1) approach the logic of landscape management in the region; 2) examine current land management regimes that influence local communities; and, 3) rethink the possible contributions of local ecological knowledge in improving current regimes. The panel also aims to facilitate networking among scholars and provide stronger opportunities to support community involvement in research and policy development.
Panelists
Dr. Danilo M. Gerona | Partido State University
Dr. Cristina Lim | Partido State University
Dr. Patricia M. Candelaria | Partido State University
Ms. Leih Anne R. Odoño | Partido State University
Karen Artiaga | Partido State University
Moderator
Dr. Raul G. Bradecina | Partido State University

Indigenous Landscapes of Taiwan and Southeast Asia: The Last 700 Years
2022-07-23 - 2022-07-24 | Partido State University, Caramoan Campus, Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Taiwan and Southeast Asia are inextricably linked by historical, cultural, and geographic processes that stretch over centuries into the present. However, collaboration among scholars who work in the region are few and far between. More importantly, Indigenous perspectives throughout Taiwan and Southeast Asia have been marginalized since the Early Modern Period. We aim to address these deficiencies by bringing together the voices of Indigenous peoples and scholars who work with Indigenous groups through a workshop that crosses contemporary political and academic boundaries to elicit and examine a more nuanced view of Taiwan and Southeast Asia, particularly emphasizing Indigenous perspectives of land and landscapes.
Indigenous peoples in Taiwan and Southeast Asia have innovatively responded to often-dramatic political, social, and environmental changes for centuries. We view these responses in terms of general ecological adaptations and frame our explanations of these transitions through a comparative perspective that emphasizes the unique advantages of a diverse academic network.
This workshop examines methodological and theoretical issues relevant to Southeast Asia and Taiwan from: uses of ethnographic analogy and historical records as data sources; applications of anthropological notions of ethnicity, culture change, historical ecology, and political economy to environmental changes; to collaborations with Indigenous and local populations. In this workshop, we bring together 20 colleagues from Southeast Asia and Taiwan whose disciplines span environmental history, geography, Indigenous studies, and archaeology to discuss ways to bring disciplinary boundaries to address pressing climate change and disaster issues.
This workshop promises to bridge the Southeast Asian and Taiwan maritime world by linking history, archaeology, humanistic disciplines, and climate and ecological studies in a period where most of our present-day environmental and social transformations started. As a research program, it has the potential to push Southeast Asian and Taiwan studies forward. It will also fill the environmental history gap in the Early Modern Period (EMP) of the region. We highlight local transformations and responses to better understand macro-level ecological change.
The workshop is hosted by the Partido State University (Goa, Camarines Sur, Philippines) and co-sponsored by the Center for Taiwan-Philippines Indigenous Knowledge, Local Knowledge, and Sustainable Studies (CTPILS) of the National Chengchi University (Taiwan), the Department of Anthropology, National Taiwan University, the UCLA Asia Pacific Center, and the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies. A grant from the Henry Luce Foundation facilitated the establishment of the UCLA Program for Early Modern Southeast Asia.

Panel 1: Indigenous Perspectives in Landscapes and History
July 23, 2022, 8:30am – 10:30am
Renewed interest in Indigenous histories and landscape management systems has increased in the last decade. This is partly due to the realization that local histories and Indigenous subsistence systems could help facilitate addressing climate change issues and disaster mitigation. More importantly, however, this interest provides a space for local empowerment, multidisciplinary, and pan-national collaborations. In this panel, we bring together environmental historians and ecologists to discuss the intersections between natural and anthropogenic environmental changes in the past 500 years. Panelists discuss descriptions from documentary sources that chronicle Indigenous and/or local practices that could have contributed to environmental perturbations. The panel will also put forward colonial and state policies that contribute to marginalization of local ecological practices.
Panelists
Ruel Pagunsan | University of the Philippines
David Findley | Max Planck Institute for the Science of History
Hanni John Mediodia | University of the Philippines-Visayas
Moderator
Grace Barretto-Tesoro | University of the Philippines

Panel 2: Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Local Ecological Knowledge, and Landscape Management in Taiwan and Southeast Asia
July 23, 2022, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Studies of Indigenous and local ecological knowledge systems started in the 1950s with the emergence of ethno-ecological approaches. Such approaches attempt to understand how a culture categorizes their world and explain the logic reflected behind these categorizations. As such, ethno-ecological investigations argued that such Indigenous and local knowledge systems are place-based, contextualized in livelihood practice, and integrated with the cosmological/social complex. In the 1990s, such localized ecological knowledge rose into prominence because of the need to establish alternative/sustainable development strategies. At this juncture, scholars and to some degree, policy makers, have realized the value of such knowledge systems in enriching the human-environment philosophies and in improving land management regimes. This panel aims to encourage such research programs through cross-disciplinary analysis of the studies that focus on Indigenous ecological knowledge, local ecological knowledge, and landscape management in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Panelists will share their experiences in how they: 1) approach the logic of landscape management in Indigenous ecological and local ecological knowledge; 2) examine current land management regimes that influence Indigenous and local communities; and, 3) rethink the possible contributions indigenous and local ecological knowledge in improving current regimes. The panel also aims to facilitate networking among scholars and provide stronger opportunities to support community involvement in research and policy development.
Panelists
Raul Bradecina | Partido State University
Hermien Soselisa | Pattimura University, Ambon, Indonesia
Chih-hua Chiang | National Taiwan University
Da-wie Kuan I National Chengchi University
Armand Camhol | National Chengchi University
Moderator
Peter Lape | University of Washington

Panel 3: Indigenous Archaeology and the Research of Environmental History in the Early Modern Period in Taiwan and Southeast Asia
July 23, 2022, 3:30pm-5:30pm
The development of Indigenous archaeology and participation of local stakeholder communities have redefined archaeological practice in the last two decades. The emphasis on decolonial methodology forces archaeologists to rethink their relationship with Indigenous peoples and how their work impacts the production of archaeological knowledge. More importantly, the formation of the collaborative relationship between archaeologists and Indigenous peoples not only enriches archaeological interpretation by incorporating Indigenous perspectives, but also empowers Indigenous peoples to participate in the process of creating historical narratives, especially the history of human-environment interactions. As the world is grappling with climate change, the study of how the Indigenous peoples have been interacting with the environment provides alternative ways to face contemporary environmental challenges. Thus, it is imperative that Indigenous archaeology approaches are practiced in the study of the long-term process of human-environment interaction. This panel aims to bring to the fore how the collaboration between archaeologists and Indigenous peoples produces more meaningful and sustainable research outcomes. Panel members share their experiences in collaborative research. Panelists discuss the motivation behind collaboration. They will also problematize issues in collaboration such as, difficulties they have encountered in the collaboration; aspects of research that were influenced by the process of collaboration; and definitions of collaborative relationship. More importantly, the panel will emphasize how collaboration changed the way archaeologists approach research and how Indigenous communities envision such relationships. The panel hopes to contemplate better practices through the lessons we learned from these experiences.
Panelists
Chieh-fu Jeff Cheng | Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Marlon Ririmasse | National Research Center for Archaeology
Marlon Martin | SITMo, Philippines
Shinatria Adhityatama | Griffith University, Australia
Moderator
Piphal Heng | University of Hawaii-Manoa

Roundtable Closing
July 24, 2022, 9:00am-11:00am
To develop a multidisciplinary framework in understanding natural and anthropogenic changes in the Early Modern Southeast Asia and Taiwan requires an active engagement across disciplinary boundaries. By focusing on local responses to both global and local ecological change, we are also able to emphasize bottom-up perspectives. In this sense, we move away from Western colonialist view of Southeast Asia and Taiwan, which would also make the discipline relevant to various communities. The engagement among historians, archaeologists, ecologists, paleoclimatologists, and humanistic disciplines will provide a broad framework to understand the various ways in which humans respond to crises. Such integration and multidisciplinary collaboration will further strengthen environmental history, ecological studies, and environmental humanities.
The roundtable discussion will also discuss book and publication projects, community collaboration, and graduate student training. Workshop participants will break out into three work groups to discuss potential avenues for collaboration and funding applications.
Panelists
Miriam Stark | University of Hawaii-Manoa
Peter Lape | University of Washington
Chih-hua Chiang | National Taiwan University
Da-wei Kuan | National Chenchi University
Stephen Acabado | UCLA

Moderator
Patricio Abinales I University of Hawaii-Manoa

Sponsors

Introduction to QGIS & KoboToolbox for Archaeological Survey
2022-07-23 - 2022-07-24 | Partido State University, Caramoan Campus, Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Jared Koller, PhD candidate
American Society of Overseas Research

Decolonizing Ifugao History Book Launch (Manila)
2022-07-21 | National Museum of the Philippines, Padre Burgos Ave, Manila

Decolonizing Ifugao History Book Launch (Ifugao)
2022-07-19 | NM Cordillera Regional Museum, Kiangan, Ifugao

Training Workshop on Basics of Culture Sensitivity and Ethnographic Data Collection
2022-06-25 08:30 - 16:30 UTC | Partido State University, Goa Campus, Goa
Franciso A. Datar (UPD)
Stephen B. Acabado (UCLA)

Breaking Myths: Food, Feasts, and the Ifugao Rice Terraces
2022-05-26 - 2022-06-25 | Philippine Consulate General Community Hall, 3435 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90010, United States
The UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles have teamed up to explore the role of rice and feast in Ifugao resistance against Spanish colonialism through a month-long photo exhibit featuring ethnographic materials from the Cordillera Region. The photo exhibit opens on 26 May 2022 with a lecture by Dr. Stephen Acabado at the Consulate General Community Hall, 5th Floor Equitable Plaza Building, 3435 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90010.
The exhibit will launch on May 26, 2022 and be on view at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles until June 25, 2022.
The digital exhibit can be viewed here.

Archaeological Inference and Alfred North Whitehead's Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness: The "Austronesian" migration as a case of reified realities
2022-05-10 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Anchorage)
Lecture by John A. Peterson, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
Archaeological interpretations are generally inference from a limited set of instances and data. Sometimes, but rarely, a single significant discovery can change interpretations, but archaeologists seek meaning in patterns of data from sites and discoveries and from a broad range of multiple lines of evidence. Often the accumulation of data can challenge a dominant paradigm or interpretation that was based on deductive or comparative models. The period of construction of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, once thought to have been 2000 years ago in conformance with European wave models of migration, developmental sequences, and human agency, is now thought to have been an adaptive response to colonial intrusion as well as Early Modern Period Climate Change. Likewise, new and accumulating data challenges the linguistic model of “Austronesian” Migration out of Taiwan. The period of this “event,” the character of migration in the region, and the newly documented abundance of sites in Island Southeast Asia challenge the anachronistic and simplistic model proposed on the basis of a few sites in northern Luzon that now appear to have been part of a larger reticulate migration throughout the region rather than unilinear from Taiwan.

Unveiling the Protohistory of Northern Taiwan: The Archaeology of the Basay and the Kavalan
2022-05-03 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Lecture by Dr. Ellen Hsieh, Associate Professor, Institute of Anthropology, National Tsing Hua University
Although Taiwan is known for its diverse indigenous Austronesian cultures, lowland indigenous groups faced varying degrees of challenges since the beginning of the Age of Contact (European), and some groups have been officially considered ‘disappeared’ by the state. The Basay and the Kavalan people were two indigenous groups who lived along the northern coast and Yilan Plain of the island, respectively, during the protohistorical period. Texts from the European and Chinese settlers provide limited information about them but archaeological investigations in recent years reveal the deep histories of the groups” their connections to each other and the global world. Their experiences with Spanish colonialism also shaped the two groups differently. As such, the archaeology of the Basay and the Kavalan not only enriches our understanding of these people but also sheds light on the archaeology of colonialism in Asia.
Dr. Ellen Hsieh is an assistant professor in the Institute of Anthropology, National Tsing Hua University, a research associate of the National Museum of the Philippines, and an editorial board member of the SPAFA Journal. She is an historical archaeologist focusing on trade and colonialism in maritime East and Southeast Asia. She is currently the PI of a project entitled ‘Hermosa, the Philippines, and the World in the Context of Spanish Colonialism: An Integrated Historical Archaeology Study of Power, Religion, and Trade Networks.

The Human-Environment Entanglements in the Late Neolithic Yilan Plain: A Case Study from the Wansan Site, Yilan County
2022-03-22 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Lecture by Chih-Hua Chiang, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, National Taiwan University

Dr. John Terrell: History, Heritage, and Expedient Myths
2022-02-14 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver)
History, Heritage, and Expedient Myths
Dr. John Terrell, Regenstein Curator of Pacific Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois
Anyone who has forgotten where they put something knows in a downhome way that history matters. But how far beyond this simple truth does history really matter? Many of the claims being made nowadays by those doing research in human genetics—specifically archaeological genetics (“the new science of the human past”)—arguably trivialize history and naively compromise the heritage knowledge of those whose ancestry these modern-day technological wizards insist they are reclaiming from the dim mists of antiquity. Although most of this laboratory work is currently dedicated to unraveling European prehistory, enduring racial myths long accepted as credible by Europeans and those of European ancestry about deep time in the Pacific are also being given new life—notably, the notion that once upon a time there was an ancient Asian or Taiwanese migration to the farthest reaches of Polynesia (and also, oddly enough, Madagascar off the African coast) thousands of years ago. What can be done to expose this European myth for what it is, and thereby advance the decolonization of deep time in the Pacific?

Discussant
Dr. Peter Sheppard, Emeritus Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand

February 14, 2022 | 10am – 12pm (PST)
Registration Link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9lFWCPAVT1aMiBME3rhceg

Panel 8: Decolonizing SE Asian Archaeology
2021-09-27 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Archaeological practice in Southeast Asia has recently shifted to active engagement with local stakeholders. This is due to the realization that involving communities results in meaningful research outcomes. A growing number of investigations are actively seeking the involvement of communities as both contributors and as active and involved research participants. These undertakings humanize our community partners and counter the exclusivity often associated with scholarly authority. An increasing number of scholars approach research as inter-disciplinary, breaking state and ethnic boundaries and engaging communities, emphasizing that we no longer work alone. This panel provides examples of this trend. It is predicated on the concepts of practice and agency and their impacts on cultural heritage and archaeological practice in Southeast Asia. Panel members have worked intensively with descendant communities and will illustrate how archaeological and heritage scholars can empower indigenous and descendant communities through heritage conservation.
September 27, 8pm (PDT) | September 28, 11am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v9hOl0zOQVWHH5pWhxo-bg

Panelists
Piphal Heng | University of Hawaii-Manoa
Udomluck Hoontrakul | Thammasat University
Panggah Ardiyansyah | SOAS, University of London
Michael Armand Canilao | Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines

Moderator
Rasmi Shoocondej | Silpakorn University

Panel 7: Women in Philippine Archaeology
2021-09-20 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The establishment of archaeology as a professional discipline in the Philippines was heavily male dominated. This issue is so pervasive that even when female representation increased, especially the accessibility of graduate degree in archaeology and related fields, male archaeologist still overshadows the works of women archaeologists. This panel highlights the contribution of female archaeologists in the Philippines, discussing issues of bias, accessibility, and opportunities. The panel will also talk about how gendered perspectives make archaeological practice more meaningful.

September 20, 8pm (PDT) | September 21, 11am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7F3JHjQpSaqOpo6Cv40BMg

Panelists
Marian Reyes | National Museum of the Philippines
Mylene Quinto Lising | Ateneo de Manila University
Sherrenne De Amboy | Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Michelle Eusebio | University of the Philippines
Madeleine Yakal | UCLA

Moderator
Grace Barretto-Tesoro | University of the Philippines

Panel 6: The Future of Southeast Asian Archaeology in the US
2021-09-13 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Southeast Asian archaeology programs are underrepresented in the US higher education system. Although SE Asian groups now comprise one of the largest immigrant groups in the country, only five institutions have a distinctly Southeast Asian archaeology program. In this panel, we bring together early- and mid-career US-based archaeologists to discuss ways to strengthen SE Asian archaeology and to help address issues of access, gender disparity, and representation. The panelists will also talk about how their respective research in SE Asia facilitate the inclusion of SE Asian archaeological observations to archaeological theory and method.

September 13, 7pm (PDT) | September 14, 10am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sGTXKAuBQquRqUbsVolNvA

Panelists
Alison Carter | University of Oregon
Nam C. Kim | University of Wisconsin, Madison
Ben Marwick | University Washington
Mitch Hendrickson | University of Illinois-Chicago
Stephen Acabado | UCLA
Piphal Heng | University of Hawaii-Manoa

Moderator
Peter Lape | University of Washington
Miriam Stark | University of Hawaii

Panel 5: Environmental and Economic History
2021-09-06 20:00 - 22:00 UTC
Barbara and Leonard Andaya (2015) outlined the major characteristics of Early Modern Southeast Asia, emphasizing how the periodization provided a venue for local realities to enter historiography. The adoption of the concept has shifted the focus of historical investigations away from the colonial lens, prioritizing the responses of local Southeast Asian groups to culture contact. As mentioned in their work, the EMP saw the intensification of global interconnectedness because of the growth of long-distance trade. In this panel, we discuss the dynamics of these contacts, not only with the arrival of the Europeans, but also of regional environmental change that was caused by increased martiime trade during the period. For instance, the demand for deerskin in Shogunate Japan is argued to have contributed to large-scale ecological disintegration in Cambodia. Similarly, the urbanization that occurred soon after European conquest would have placed a huge toll on environments because of resource extraction. As such, this panel will discuss potential sources of information that would provide nuanced understanding of how SEAsian, particularly, Philippine groups responded to various stimuli accorded by cultural entanglements. Particular emphasis will be placed on documentary sources that have the potential to link state responses with environmental signatures.

September 6, 8pm (PDT) | September 7, 11am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nv7-peHDQbS1j8Lxp3Zj-A

Panelists
Patrick Henry Manguera | Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Ruel Pagunsan | University of the Philippines-Diliman
Lou Angeli Ocampo | University of the Philippines-Diliman
Kerby Alvarez | University of the Philippines-Diliman
David Biggs | UC Riverside

Moderator
Barbara Andaya | University of Hawaii-Manoa

Panel 4: Environmental Change and Urbanization in the Early Modern Period
2021-08-24 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
If environmental and historical studies into the EMP in Southeast Asia are few and far between, such work is even scarcer in archaeology, even if a significant number of SE Asian archaeologists are actively investigating the rise and fall of classic empires (and or emergence of states) in the region. Archaeology, as a discipline, is in a position to provide a link between paleoenvironmental studies and historiography, as archaeologists frequently borrow ideas from the two disciplines. The discipline, however, focuses on long-term patterns of change based on fine-grained, site-specific datasets that complement paleoenvironmental and historical studies. In this panel, we highlight the role of archaeology in understanding human responses to environmental unpredictability. For instance, archaeologists have documented solutions employed by humans to address the unpredictability of environmental problems as well as problems that cannot be fixed.

August 24, 8pm (PDT) | August 25, 11am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nRrns4NgSZOsol5V9R4pIA

Panelists
Jade d’Alpoim Guedes | University of California, San Diego
Patrick Roberts | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Grace Barretto-Tesoro | Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines
Roland Fletcher | University of Sydney

Moderator
Peter Lape | University of Washington

Panel 3: PSU Research Highlights: Bicol Communities and Ecologies
2021-08-16 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The diverse ecologies of the Partido district make it an excellent case study to highlight the links between biodiversity and landscape knowledge. This panel will discuss ongoing Partido State University research projects that have the potential to bridge environmental and local knowledge systems. Panelist will provide descriptions of the diverse ecologies of the Partido District, highlighting the need for an integrative and multidisciplinary approach in understanding human-environment relationships. The panel also discusses what is known about Isarog’s biodiversity index, develop research strategies, and apply the strategies in the field.

August 16, 8pm (PDT) | August 17, 11am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pWxN3KBBR96YEnbaj1fxeQ

Panelists
Ricky Laureta | Partido State University, Philippines
Maria Christina Gumba | Partido State University, Philippines
Marjorie Atole | Partido State University, Philippines

Moderator
Da-wei Kuan | National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Panel 2: Southeast Asia Climate in the last Millennium
2021-08-09 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
It has been established that there were major climatic fluctuations between 1400 and 1820 CE, particularly the Little Ice Age and the preceding Medieval Warm Period. In other parts of the world, studies on the LIA and its effect on human behavior have been robust, but mostly top-down, emphasizing the role of climate in the patterns of cultural change observed in the archaeological record. Similarly, in Southeast Asia, not only is there a very limited investigation of the relationship between climate change and shifts in cultural patterns, almost all studies favor emphasis on environmental pressures over the suite of human responses. In this panel, we hope to survey what is currently known in terms of climatic fluctuations in the region during the EMP and the last 1,000 years. The panel also discusses how we study paleoclimates and explains the idea of proxies (dendrochronology, pollen, speleothems, and others (e.g. marine sediments). Panel members will also provide an overview of what we already know as well as things that we do not know and want to know.

August 9, 7pm (PDT) | August 8, 10am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_icCCzVDoTNKnWDhXTSz9yA

Panelists
Carlos Primo David | National Institutes of Geological Science, University of the Philippines
Mick Griffiths | William Paterson University, New Jersey
Riovie Ramos | William Paterson University, New Jersey

Moderator
Kathleen Johnson | University of California-Irvine

August 9, 7pm (PDT)/August 10, 10am (Philippines)

Panel 1: Research, Training, and Partnerships: Breaking Disciplinary Boundaries
2021-08-02 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Denver)
Economic and social transformations that accompanied the Early Modern period in 14th-19th century Southeast Asia took place in a dynamic natural environment that reflected and shaped its inhabitants. Most scholarship on Early Modern (EM) Southeast Asia attributes European expansion as a catalyst, and the limited environmental research undertaken offers coarse-grained sequences for the region during a substantial climatic upheaval. The PSU-PEMSEA (Program for Early Modern Southeast Asia) research program complements such earlier work through its bottom-up approach to studying local responses to ecological change before, during and after European contact. This research program promises to bring Partido to global discussions on environmental change during the Early Modern Period, particularly on reconstructing past environments and studying human-environment dynamics. This panel outlines the direction of PSU-PEMSEA collaborations and introduces the panels constituting the webinar series.

August 2, 8pm (PDT) | August 3, 11am (Philippines)
Register for Zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1LNXNzc8RCCEDmbVchZ9KQ

Panelists
Raul Bradecina | Partido State University, Philippines
Miriam Stark | University of Hawaii-Manoa
Stephen Acabado | UCLA and Partido State University
Raul Sebastian | Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Da-wei Kuan | National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Moderator
Clement Camposano | University of the Philippines-Visayas
