January 17, 2024
Opening Remarks
Welcome Messages
Prof. Stephen Acabado | Department of Anthropology, University of California-Los Angeles
Prof. Abel Valenzuela | Interim Dean of Division of Social Sciences, UCLA College
Plenary 1: Partnering Southeast Asian History and Environmental Archaeology: Human Responses to Climate Variation in the Early Modern Period
The technologies and approaches that have enabled environmental archaeologists to track changes in weather patterns and highlight human adaptations in the distant past have produced a number of insightful studies. Though a relatively new field in Southeast Asian studies, this research has already contributed a corpus of valuable information about the relationship between human society and the environment in prehistoric times. Strengthening the partnership between archaeologists and historians can inject fresh energy into these conversations because documentary sources open avenues to a better understanding of cultural attitudes and responses, but also provide specific detail about the often devastating effects of natural disasters. This presentation will consider some of the evidence for these events, giving particular attention to irregular rainfall and drought and the consequences for local populations. In the 21st century Southeast Asia as a region has been identified as one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate change, but environmental challenges themselves have a deep history that interdisciplinary cooperation can illuminate in ways that may have direct bearing on the present.
Speakers
Barbara Andaya | University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Panel 1: Local Histories and Environmental Humanities
Filipino historian Resil Mojares (1997) underscores the continuing relevance of “locality-specific histories” to interrogate the often generalizing ‘national’ narratives that insufficiently address the diverging character of regional and local communities. In the wake of the environmental turn in history, scholarship has increasingly highlighted local and indigenous perspectives that have been historically and contemporarily marginalized. This panel brings together environmental humanities scholars to chronicle ecological changes and displacements in Philippine and Asian societies in the past 500 years. It will present historiographic and disciplinary insights which could be useful in understanding the impact of colonial and national-state policies and projects on specific island communities, littoral borders, coastal ecologies, and other vulnerable localities. Drawing from archival, visual, and oral sources, panelists will also address the importance of indigenous ecological knowledge and traditions typically eclipsed by imperial and modernist epistemologies.
Panelists
Ruel Pagunsan | University of the Philippines, Diliman
Kathleen Gutierrez | University of California, Santa Cruz
Karl Ian Cheng Chua | Asian Center, UP Diliman
George Borringa | University of San Carlos, Cebu
Chair/Co-Chair
Ruel Pagunsan | University of the Philippines, Diliman
Kathleen Gutierrez | University of California, Santa Cruz
Panel 2: From Ridge to Reef: Indigenous/Local Ecological Knowledge on Resource Management
Sustainable management of coastal resources is not possible without sustainable management of upland resources. What happens in the mountain or upland ecology will have direct consequences on the coastal ecology, and vice-versa. Thus, the “from ridge to reef” concept is a holistic approach that is central to an ecosystem approach to coastal and upland resource management. Indigenous/local ecological knowledge play important roles in sustaining the ecosystem. This panel expands the discourse on indigenous/local knowledge, resource management and biodiversity. It brings together recent studies on the continuities and discontinuities of indigenous/local knowledge on coastal, valleys/plains and upland ecologies and how they interact within the ecosystem.
Panelists
Marlon Martin | Save the Ifugao Heritage Movement
Nicanor Germono, Jr. | Provincial Government of Pangasinan, Pangasinan Polytechnic College
Joy Capistrano | Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology
Chair/Co-Chair
Marlon Martin | Save the Ifugao Heritage Movement
Raymundo Rovillos | University of the Philippines, Baguio
Panel 3: Cultural Heritage and the Communities
The University of the Philippines Visayas’ projects and engagements with various communities in Panay has displayed tremendous success in bringing together local partners to be proactive in cultural heritage documentation, promotion, and preservation.
With the passage of the Republic Act (RA) 11961 or the “Cultural Mapping Act” and the direction of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to push for mapping the cultural resources, local government units (LGU) allows them to gain a sense of pride and identity. The related success of the Cultural Mapping of Antique offered a platform for teacher-mappers to undertake scholarly pursuits and participate in community efforts. This endeavor paved the way to extend the cultural registry and trainings to the other provinces, through the Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras.
Two UPV projects under the Tourism Studies on Island-Based Opportunities for Growth (TSIBOG) in Western Visayas undertook community-led initiatives to develop tourism opportunities. The engagement in Ibajay, Aklan consisted of lecture-workshops on local history, culinary heritage, and environmental conservation; production of learning modules/ videos; and promotional videos for the LGU. All of these outputs were made by participants from the community and illustrated the value of community-led activities in sustainable heritage conservation. In Pandan, Antique, the project aimed to foster increased appreciation and promotion of ecological and cultural tourism by training public school teachers to come up with children’s stories related to fishing and farming written by public school teachers. These stories were distributed to schools with the intention to give copies to local resorts and other tourism establishments. These initiatives aim to foster collaboration among the LGUs, national government agencies, the academe, and the local community.
Panelists
Martin Genodepa | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Thania Margarrette Coronica | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Anna Razel Ramirez | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Sashah Dioso | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Chair/Co-Chair
Frances Anetha Redison | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Panel 4: Indigenous Knowledge and Landscape Management
This panel aims to explore indigenous and local landscape studies, highlighting the significance of indigenous knowledge and its influence on contemporary environmental management. Landscape refers to the visible features of the land, shaped not only by natural forces but also by human interventions and adaptations. Analyzing landscapes offers an opportunity to unveil the political and economic processes that have shaped these features. Moreover, different perspectives on landscapes encompass diverse actors, interactions, and interpretations.
Furthermore, recognizing that every culture perceives landscapes through its unique experiences of human-environmental interactions, understanding indigenous knowledge of landscapes becomes essential. Such knowledge, previously overlooked by top-down management regimes, can significantly enhance our understanding and facilitate improved human-environmental relationships. The papers presented in this panel cover three main aspects:
1) Illustrating indigenous knowledge of landscapes and analyzing their ecological implications.
2) Examining the encounters between indigenous knowledge and modern regimes, and the subsequent transitions that occur.
3) Highlighting the efforts to revive indigenous knowledge and exploring its potential applications, such as in land-use planning, disaster risk reduction, and resource conservation.
By showcasing these research papers, this panel aims to stimulate methodological discussions surrounding indigenous landscape studies while fostering a greater appreciation for indigenous knowledge.
Panelists
Da Wei Kwan | National Chengchi University
Chung-Kai Kao | National Chengchi University
Ling Wen Hsu | National Taiwan University
Liang-yu Chen | National Chengchi University
Yapit Tali | National Chengchi University
Chair
Da Wei Kwan | National Chengchi University
January 18, 2024
Panel 5: Climate Change in Southeast Asia: Insights from the Past to Inform the Future
Island Southeast Asia is highly susceptible to the effects of climate change with climate model projections for the region pointing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and shifting precipitation patterns. Current trends from instrumental observations show that Island southeast Asia has witnessed rapid increases in temperature, ocean heat content, and hydroclimate, impacting sea level, ocean circulation, and freshwater availability. The future impacts of these changes are expected to be profound, with sectors such as agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, and fisheries likely to be amongst the hardest hit. Yet, separating the natural versus anthropogenic fingerprints of these changes remains ambiguous due to the brevity of observational records and uncertainties in climate models. This panel will review the current state of knowledge regarding the natural variability of climate in Island Southeast Asia over the last few thousand years by utilizing the current network of natural climate archives. Additionally, the panel will examine how this information can help in understanding the forcing mechanisms, which will ultimately help in predicting the future impacts of climate change in the region. Finally, we will review the need for longer-term paleoclimate records from the region to help assess climate model skill and in turn enhance disaster management practices, which are critical for policymakers and stakeholders in developing effective strategies for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Panelists
Mick Griffiths | Wiliam Paterson University
Kathleen Johnson | University of California, Irvine
Paul Barber | University of California, Los Angeles
Tomas Wake | University of California, Los Angeles
Amr Shahat | University of California, Los Angeles (Online)
Chair/Co-Chair
Mick Griffiths | Wiliam Paterson University
Kathleen Johnson | University of California, Irvine
Panel 6: Policy and Climate Change Research
Island and coastal communities have long been shaped by their oceanic environments, influencing their histories and economies. An example of this can be seen in the impact of the northern equatorial current system on Early East Asia seafaring, which played a crucial role in the transformations of Southeast Asia’s economic and social landscapes during the Early Modern Period. Coastal and island ecosystems encompass not only physical and biological attributes but are also deeply influenced by cultural perceptions. In essence, landscapes are products of culture before they are products of nature.
The direct consequence of global warming, particularly the rise in sea surface temperatures and the subsequent increase in extreme weather events, poses significant threats to island and coastal socioecological systems. These systems are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As a result, climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing policy challenges of our time. It not only contributes to a higher frequency and intensity of hydrometeorological disasters but also imposes substantial economic and social costs.
Efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change in island and coastal regions require scientific information to inform policies aimed at reducing the impacts on socioecological systems while enhancing their adaptive capacity and resilience. This panel aims to foster discussions on the current economic, social, ecological, cultural, and historical research on climate change in island and coastal socioecological systems.
Panelists
Raul Bradecina | Partido State University
Gay Defiesta | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Christian Rivero | Department of Education
Chair/Co-Chair
Raul Bradecina | Partido State University
Francisco Datar
Panel 7: Coastal Protection and Development
The University of the Philippines Visayas’ projects and engagements with various communities in Panay has displayed tremendous success in bringing together local partners to be proactive in cultural heritage documentation, promotion, and preservation. With the passage of the Republic Act (RA) 11961 or the “Cultural Mapping Act” and the direction of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to push for mapping the cultural resources, local government units (LGU) allows them to gain a sense of pride and identity. The related success of the Cultural Mapping of Antique offered a platform for teacher- mappers to undertake scholarly pursuits and participate in community efforts. This endeavor paved the way to extend the cultural registry and trainings to the other provinces, through the Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras. Two UPV projects under the Tourism Studies on Island-Based Opportunities for Growth (TSIBOG) in Western Visayas undertook community-led initiatives to develop tourism opportunities. The engagement in Ibajay, Aklan consisted of lecture-workshops on local history, culinary heritage, and environmental conservation; production of learning modules/ videos; and promotional videos for the LGU. All of these outputs were made by participants from the community and illustrated the value of community-led activities in sustainable heritage conservation. In Pandan, Antique, the project aimed to foster increased appreciation and promotion of ecological and cultural tourism by training public school teachers to come up with children’s stories related to fishing and farming written by public school teachers. These stories were distributed to schools with the intention to give copies to local resorts and other tourism establishments. These initiatives aim to foster collaboration among the LGUs, national government agencies, the academe, and the local community.
Panelists
Ramer Bautista | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Jessica Dator-Bercilla | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Farisal Bagsit | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Pepito Fernandez Jr. | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Chair/Co-Chair
Ramer Bautista | University of the Philippines, Visayas
Panel 8: From fair trade to land grab: The struggle for wealth and control in early colonial SE Asia
Most European colonial projects in early modern SE Asia attempted to shift from trade to resource extraction, and to control production to maximize profit. For example, the Dutch East India Company bought spices on the open market for a few years in the early 17th century, but soon turned to conquering territory and producing spices with enslaved labor. In this session, we will examine the wider effects of this shift, not only for spices, but also for other products (plant and animal products, minerals). We will investigate the relationship of resource extraction to infrastructure (ports, roads, plantations, fortifications, warehouses, shipyards, cities), to human health and well-being (disease load, nutrition, drug use, housing, forced labor), and to the environment (deforestation and habitat degradation, resource depletion and extinction). Contributors may include archaeologists, historians, ecologists, climate scientists and other relevant specialists.
Panelists
Peter Lape | University of Washington
Miriam Stark | University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Marlon Ririmasse | Badan Riset Dan Inovasi Nasional
Piphal Heng | University of California, Los Angeles
Chair/Co-Chair
Peter Lape | University of Washington
Miriam Stark | University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Panel 9: Archaeologies of Island and Colonial Histories
Histories of the emergence and development of cities commonly retain linear, and often Eurocentric, narratives. Such preconceptions obfuscate the dynamic and diverse trajectories of colonial and especially pre-colonial settlements in Southeast Asia, which are today among the largest mega-cities on Earth. However, the unique ways these island or coastal cities were supplied with goods and laborers, while exuding commercial, spiritual, and politico-military influence across diverse geographies, are intrinsic to their environmental impact through time. This panel seeks submissions from archaeologists or historians studying the emergence of Indigenous island and coastal settlements, the impact of colonialism on Southeast Asian urbanism, appraisals of the changing relationship between hinterland and urban/peri-urban zones, and how past settlements might offer insights into today’s Southeast Asian urban landscapes.
Through the analysis of artifacts, architecture, and documentary sources, archaeologists can unravel the complexities of colonial encounters, including aspects like cultural hybridity, resistance, enslavement, and the exploitation of resources.
Panelists
Max Findley | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Grace Barretto-Tesoro | University of the Philippines, Diliman
Patrick Roberts | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Justin Dunnavant | University of California, Los Angeles
Chair/Co-Chair
Max Findley | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Grace Barretto-Tesoro | University of the Philippines, Diliman
Patrick Roberts | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
January 19, 2024
Panel 10: Imperiled Coastlines and the Politics of Possibility (virtual)
Southeast Asian coasts are under threat. That the region’s coastal peoples may be some of the hardest hit by climate change is no longer a postulate but rather, a reality largely accelerated by nation-state development projects and private industrial schemes. A closer look at local human lifeways, animal and plant species, and regional political conditions reveals how we might rethink categories of “sovereignty,” “reclamation,” and “entanglement” in this zone of precarity–and possibility.
In this panel, core members from the Center for Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions at the University of California, Santa Cruz will present recent ethnographic, oral historical, and multispecies research on coastal sites in island Southeast Asia. Zahirah Suhaimi will examine articulations of sovereignty in the Johor Straits as they are impacted by nation-states, humans, and non-humans within the authoritarian political environment in Southeast Asia. Gillian Bogart will discuss the ongoing destruction and rehabilitation of mangroves systems in West Timor, paying particular attention to two mangrove species critical to human-plant lifeways in the region. Joe Klein will document the contemporary history of “Hong Kong Ships,” vessels responsible for hyper-destructive fishing practices in South Sulawesi. Finally, Kirsten Keller will nuance the notion of “reclamation” in Jakarta, a city currently facing extreme land subsidence and efforts to mitigate it.
Panelists
Zahirah Suhaimi | University of California, Santa Cruz
Gillian Bogart | University of California, Santa Cruz
Joe Klein | University of California, Santa Cruz
Kirsten Keller | University of California, Santa Cruz
Chair/Co-Chair
Kathleen Gutierrez | University of California, Santa Cruz
Panel 11: Geopolitical Reshaping of the Southeastern Asian Coasts and Waters in the Early Modern World
The geographic scope of Southeast Asian waters is a point of contention, depending on the source you consult. This panel examines how regional powers, including the Qing Empire, the Vietnamese state of Lê-Trịnh, and the Malay state of Johore, extended their influence and control over these waters. This panel seeks to uncover how political actors weigh maritime activities’ potential risks and benefits, how they hide or express their geopolitical goals through rhetoric, strategies used when negotiating with one another, and techniques for dealing with smugglers, or “Gypsies of the sea," outside the reach of the states. Ariel Lopez investigates the understudied connections between two maritime powers in the eighteenth century, the Malay kingdom of Johore and the Spanish Philippines. Analyzing a land-based state in the same period, Hieu Phung argues that the Lê-Trịnh of northern Vietnam engaged with the seas by enhancing their oversight of a coastal zone called Lower Sơn Nam, particularly to the local fish economy and the impacts of tropical storms. Minghui Hu’s paper highlights the strategic actions of the reputable provincial governor, Ruan Yuan (1764–1849), who meticulously revitalized the geopolitical worth of the lower Yangzi and Pearl River valleys, in contrast to the other coastal regions, due to their correlation with the sea trade and smugglers’ disruptions in Southeast Asia. All three papers contribute to François Gipouloux’s comparison between the Asian and European Mediterranean and offer new ways to review and explain the coastlines and waters from Nagasaki to the Strait of Malacca and Batavia.
Panelists
Minghui Hu | University of California, Santa Cruz
Hieu Phung | Rutgers University
Ariel Lopez | University of the Philippines, Diliman
Chair/Co-Chair
Minghui Hu | University of California, Santa Cruz
Hieu Phung | Rutgers University
Book Launch of the Second Edition of “Indigenous Archaeology in the Philippines: Decolonizing Ifugao History” written by Stephen Acabado and Marlon Martin published by Ateneo de Naga University Press
Plenary 2: Linking Archaeology/Early History with the Early Modern in Southeast Asia
There has been a long disconnect between archaeology, early history, and early modern history. In this presentation the aim is to bridge this gap by showing how archaeology/early history conjoins with the early modern historical period (c. 1400-c. 1830s). By providing this link, it is possible for archaeologists/early historians and early modern historians to work together more closely than previously. Early historical polities in Southeast Asia arose in the millennium that scholars have termed the era of “the Classical” or “Charter” states because they were regarded as having established the framework of the polities that led directly into the early modern period. A power point presentation will help elucidate these ideas.
Speakers
Leonard Andaya | University of Hawai’i at Manoa