La Trinidad opens Indigenous Peoples’ Month with traditional rituals

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Indigenous communities and local officials gathered Friday, 9 October, to open the municipality's month-long Indigenous Peoples’ Month celebration with traditional rituals, dances and cultural performances.

Mayor Roderick Awingan joined community elders in the Shawat tan Owik, an Ibaloi ritual involving prayers and the offering of a pig.

Local officials emphasized the importance of preserving indigenous traditions and passing cultural knowledge to younger generations.

The celebration, themed “Empowering Indigenous Peoples: Rights, Culture, and Ancestral Domains,” also featured traditional games and performances showcasing the municipality's diverse cultural heritage.

La Trinidad is home to several indigenous ethnolinguistic groups, including the Ibaloi, Kankanaey, Kalanguya, Iwak and Karao communities.

The month-long observance will continue with a medical mission on 15 October, an Indigenous Peoples forum on 17 October and a tree-planting activity during the closing program on 30 October.

Organizers said the activities aim to strengthen cultural awareness, promote indigenous rights and encourage community participation in preserving ancestral traditions.