Tinalak:  Weaving Dreams as Filipino Educational Praxis

by Jeffrey Acido, PhD and Jeffrey Moniz, PhD

I am woven
together by a dream
Birthed out of struggle
and resistance
of my ancestors

My threads are only as strong
As they are together,
Side by side,
In and out,
Woven experiences
That cannot be separated
from the brown body
of the abaca
of the land

We are not patterns
but visions
of a liberated tomorrow.

The Tinalak is not simply a woven pattern, an indigenous artifact, or a piece of clothing made from Abaca fibers. It is a vision and a dream received by the women of the T’boli community in Mindanao, Philippines. The dreams are received by the weaver from the spirits and ancestors and guide their hands to create the intricate and beautiful patterns of the tinalak.