Pagadian author unveils book on Subanen history, decolonial archives

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — Aiming to enrich Mindanao’s history, scholar and ethnographer Dr. Wendell Glenn Cagape launched his new book, “Colonial Images of the Subano Nation,” here on Sunday.

The historical and ethnographic work explores the colonial history, cultural resilience and identity of the Subanen Indigenous people across the Zamboanga Peninsula.

By examining the Jesuit colonial project, along with the dynamics of Indigenous resistance and cooperation, Cagape reclaims historical archives, early maps and colonial photographs through a decolonial lens to highlight the enduring heritage of the Subanen, the largest Indigenous population in the Philippines.

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Cagape explained to the Inquirer that his book compiles rare colonial archives, including maps and letters from Jesuit missionaries who sought to convert the Subanen to Catholicism during the second century of Spanish rule. It also features early photographs depicting traditional Subanen dwellings, ancestral lands and intangible cultural traditions.

READ: Subanen tribe in Zamboanga del Sur gets ancestral domain title

Cagape’s drive to write the book stemmed from his fieldwork assisting Subanen communities with their applications for Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title.

“I saw the gap in the scholarship that helps the Subanen reclaim their ancestral lands and territories, those that date back to the colonial years, in order for them to ascertain their claims since time immemorial,” Cagape told the Inquirer.

“The Subanen also need literature about their interaction with the colonization project in Mindanao for other scholars and researchers to consider,” he added.

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Asked what main takeaway he hopes readers gain from the book, Cagape emphasized the deep-rooted legacy of the Subanen.

“That the Subanen have a rich colonial history and a rich cultural heritage in their Subano Nation. This has been reflected in many colonial books and letters that effectively gained the trust and respect of the Spaniards and Americans alike regarding their indigeneity and community,” he said.

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Addressing why the narrative must originate from local voices rather than academic institutions in Manila, Cagape stressed the importance of geographic and cultural proximity.

“The stories of these colonial encounters happened in Mindanao, inside the Subano Nation, the contemporary Zamboanga Peninsula,” Cagape said, citing historically significant localities such as Pagadian, Kumalarang, Tukuran, Siocon, Sindangan and Dapitan.

“It is appropriate that these stories come from where they happened. It is a reminder too that there are many colonial encounters with indigenous communities that need to be written,” he explained.

Cagape hopes the release of “Colonial Images of the Subano Nation” will serve as a catalyst for local research and literature.

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“It is my prayer that more books will be published by local writers and scholars to bridge the gap in scholarship, recenter Indigenous peoples as key players in history, and privilege the voices of local scholars and teachers,” he said. /mcm