Leaders and Dealers: Indigenous Land Transactions in Bukidnon, Philippines
Inigo Acosta
PhD Candidate in Anthropology
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Under the 1997 Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines are legally allowed to enter into partnerships with external actors to lease parts of their land under a process called, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). Yet, Indigenous Peoples in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines are often termed “tribal dealers” for their decision to lease land to monocrop plantations or external landowners upon receiving their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADT). The term is used as a pejorative label by non-Indigenous actors to criticize the land claim process and as a reason to deny Indigenous People access to land. This talk analyzes the “tribal dealer phenomenon” and explores the reasons many land claimants lease or sell land. I argue the decision is grounded in broader structural reasons beyond simply a desire for material gain. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data, the talk considers how Indigenous land claimants must navigate numerous financial and political obstacles during and after their application process that results in a seemingly unavoidable decision to lease.