On Feb 13, 2024, Andonie, one of the four original Subanen Crafters, died in childbirth. She died in her hut, on a remote hillside, in the middle of the night. Her husband, Golyo, was with her. She is also survived by her two children, Melanie, 14 years old, and Bernabe,11 years old. She and her unborn child were buried on the same day near their home. Some of the Subanen Crafters were able to be there.
Jesus proclaimed that the least among us will be the greatest in the Reign of God (Matthew, chapter 18). Andonie is one of those “least” who, with her unborn child, are now in the embrace of our Creator. Andonie was a Subanen, and like other Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines, the Subanens see their homeland as a sacred gift from God and relate to their habitat through their songs, stories, dances, and rituals. Most of us in the Philippines have come to depend upon an economy that hungers for the water, minerals, and timber that happen to be on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples. In the past logging and mining activities were allowed to freely plunder their homelands. It was common to think that Indigenous Peoples were primitive (the least among us) and that they stood in the way of national prosperity and progress. Now, we are beginning to realize that Indigenous Peoples here have highly evolved cultures and life-styles that nurture the upland rivers, forest and soil of the Philippines. Such nurturing cultures are much needed in the Philippines if we want to have an ecologically stable and economically sustainable future.
One day, twenty-three years ago, Andonie and her three companions hiked many hours from their remote hillside homes to get to the site of our first Mandala-crafting workshop in the town of Midsalip. It was there, during our first crafting session, that I noticed a smiling Andonie squatting in front of an electric fan. It was the first time she had seen a device that could create the wind.
At that workshop I marveled at how quickly and skillfully these young women could thread beads into the complex designs of our Creation Mandalas. Clearly they grew up in a culture that had a long tradition in weaving skills. The designs in the Creation Mandalas represent nine evolutionary births in the story of God’s Creation. It is a story that would eventually lead to the birth of humans and the birth of the Earth community. I feel blessed to be working with the Subanen People whose cultural way of life respects and nurtures our human bond with our God’s Creation. May Andonie and her unborn child live life in its fullness in the embrace of our Creator.
Columban Fr. Vincent Busch lives and works in the Philippines.
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The Creation Mandala Song
The Birth of the Universe
In the beginning the Spirit sang:
“My Love’s ablaze and from its warmth Let all creation come flaring forth. Let matter and energy converse And sing the hymn of the Universe, And through the course of time and space I’ll cherish all in my embrace.”
The Birth of the Galaxies
Then the Spirit sang:
“Let Creation begin to dance In cooling clouds of elements Where the tug of gravity Draws atoms into galaxies, And hugs the stars till they ignite To fill the darkness with their light.”
The Birth of the Solar System
Then the Spirit sang:
“Let stars blaze till they consume The nuclear fire in their wombs, And bursting forth as they collapse Sow the elements in their grasp, And from their dust let new stars grow With moons and planets in their tow.”
The Birth of the Earth
Then the Spirit sang:
“Along with planets near and far Let Earth take shape around its star. While its crust solidifies, Let molten rock throb inside, Lifting the mountains, spreading the seas, Molding and folding its geography.”
The Birth of Life
Then the Spirit sang:
“Let Earth and Sun warm the seas To animate its chemistry, And from that swirling pool of genes Let Earth give birth to living beings, Sprouting forth all kinds of things With roots and legs, fins and wings.”
The Birth of the Earth Community
Then the Spirit sang:
“From desert sand to mountain snow Let habitats emerge and grow Where plants and beasts participate In nature’s rugged give and take And every creature plays a role In keeping Earth alive and whole.”
The Birth of Humans
Then the Spirit sang:
“Let the glory of nature’s chorus, Its raging storms and mighty forests, Its pounding seas and soaring peaks, Its blazing skies and teeming reefs, Touch human hearts with its splendor And forge their souls in awe and wonder.”
The Birth of the Ecological Age
Then the Spirit sang:
“Let life entwine the land and sea In the web of its community Where humans keep in good repair The habitats all creatures share And sing with every leaf and stone ‘This is our Earth, our sacred home’.”
The Birth of Your Story
Then the Spirit sang:
“The habitats that grace the Earth Were there to hold you at your birth, May they guide your life and journey, And weave your voice into the story Of my love which grew to be A wondrous blue-green symphony.”