I was taking pictures of one of the Kadayawan dance groups in Davao City. The face of a woman dancer caught my attention. I felt in her facial expression what I’ve been hearing from certain leaders of the Lumad or Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao with whom I interact: “Listen! Hear my voice! Listen to my angry heart. Stop lecturing on us! You’ve been killing our people. Stop killing us! You’ve been pitting us against each other. Stop dividing us! You’ve been destroying our mountains and rivers. Stop stealing our lands!”
