S30-9

The Bicol Archaeological Project: An Engaged and Community Approach to Philippine Archaeology

Madeleine Yakal & Stephen Acabado

University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

The early modern period (EMP, 15th to 19th century) has been historically overlooked by Philippine archaeology due to the legacy of western education and colonial practices; following the Spanish and colonial periods, Filipinos focused on exploring pre-Spanish identities. Our engaged and community approach to archaeology builds a team of researchers that are invested in long-term projects and dedicated to fostering positive relationships with stakeholders that develop community knowledge. The Bicol Archaeological Project (BAP) explores the significant cultural and environmental transformations that focuses on the EMP and the challenges Bicolanos faced through colonial disruptions. Our priority includes working directly with communities -- the Archdiocese of Caceres, local government units, and Bicol farmers -- to learn oral histories, understand community needs, and create local narratives accessible to those within and outside of academia. BAP is an intersection of these institutions with different interests, goals, and expertise involved in each step of the research process. This also counters the expectation that academia dominates research, and instead fosters all parties as co-producers of knowledge from the research design to final publications. This paper models BAP's relationship between academic research and community engagement, and discusses how the two are mutually exclusive for the ethical production of cultural knowledge.