Tiffany Peacock I University of South Carolina I Anthropology &               History Major

     It is still hard to believe that I traveled to the Philippines this past summer. Being my first time outside of the United States, I never thought that an opportunity to study abroad would be possible. Quickly becoming one of the best times of my life thus far, I shared moments which created nostalgic memories with a cohort passionate about Anthropology that will never be forgotten. 
    Attending my very first field school, the Ifugao Archaeological Project became a place where I shared many firsts. First time flying out of the country, first time being so far away from home in South Carolina, first time visiting the Philippines, first time being in the mountains,  and first time doing archaeological field work. One of the most memorable aspects was my first time experiencing the Ifugao culture and all it had to offer! From all the amazing food and the breath taking views, the cordillera highlands are very rich in beauty and filled with a story that can only begin to be understood by seeing the Ifugao province in person. I am still very honored to have been given this opportunity and I am also very thankful for meeting the volunteers of SitMo, Dr. Stephen B. Acabado, Dr. Adam Lauer, all the helpful graduate students, and the various locals who visited headquarters for allowing us to learn more about them and what makes the Ifugao special as an ethno-historic people.
    “There is no Me time, there is We time!” This statement was very comical and ironic because it spoke the truth about being a part of an archaeological field school. Spending a lot of time with my peers allowed for building new and better life skills when working and living together during the project. Also, I learned how to actively work and conduct research in a collaborative way that I will be able to apply in future research projects to come! Overall, being in the Philippines changed me as a person in that I do not take anything for granted and that ultimately the small things in life do not matter. Only the pivotal moments which will define my character are also the same moments which will propel my motivation to be successful and ultimately proud of all of the achievements that I strive to gain!
Conducting excavation fieldwork was very rewarding but it also required a lot of hard work! Waking up at 5am to start work days was difficult in the beginning but became second nature towards the end. With the encouragement of our field leaders and our field crews, the heat from the sun was not as bad while we all pushed to continue digging each and every day. With the help of Rihanna’s “Work, work, work, work, work, work, work…” excavating was even more enjoyable because of us all doing archaeology because we love it. The greatest memory about being in the Ifugao Archaeological Field School was how well everyone got along and the friendships that I have made will definitely last a lifetime. 

Upon completion of my first field school and transitioning into my final semester as an undergraduate at Hunter College, I cannot fathom how much of a packed summer I’ve had. I’ve been back in the States for almost two weeks and I’m still trying to digest and process what it is that happened in Ifugao!
         So here’s my recap:
          -Learned practical applications of theories studied in class
             surrounding Anthropology and Archaeology
          -Learned how to excavate
          -Learned how to accession
          -Learned how to fall several times (off the terraces and into the
           river)
          -Learned how to get back up even more times (from falling- see
           above)
          -Learned to come to terms with parting from meaningful
          relationships built in such a short period of time that I’ve no
​          doubt will last a lifetime
                  I initially joined IAP as a last minute applicant via IFR with the intentions of determining what it is I’d like to do after finishing my BA in Anthropology. I did that. However, IAP was so much more than I expected. I am forever grateful for the amount of learning that took place in the span of just a month. As a New Yorker attending a primarily commuter school, I learned to adapt to living in a room full of other people, having to conserve water and electricity, REALLY picking up after myself, and more importantly where I stand as the individual I am (an outsider) to a community that was so warm and welcoming (Ifugao).
                  As it turns out, this project revealed much more about myself than I initially intended it to. I approached it as a student and left as a more whole human being. More specifically, it helped me to acknowledge my Am-Fil identity (Doc, Post-Boklay Festival). See, before this trip, my “Filipino-ness” was something that I placed at the back-burner of my suite of identities. Before this journey, I was (still am) an active participant in politics and grassroots fundraising and I focused my efforts towards progressing human rights, specifically in the sphere of the LGBTQ community. I am a QPOC (Queer Person of Color), but I often times identified more with the former half of my identity as opposed to the latter half. This could have been for a number of reasons- my accessibility to queer theory and gender studies in NYC, my rejection of exploring organized Fil-Am groups in college, or maybe even chance.
                  Despite this preexisting circumstance, going to Ifugao made me stare at the Filipino element of my identity right in the face. This was the first time I had ever been to the northern part of the Philippines, and before this trip, I discovered how imperative it was to identify where your parents were from! I found myself telling people that my mom is from IloIlo in Visayas and my dad is from Manila. The simple discourse of doing so forced me to think critically about why Filipinos in the Diaspora do that… I’m still perplexed by this and cannot generate a straight-forward answer, but what I can do is certainly identify that the Philippines is not homogenous and there certainly exists aspects to it that I have yet to discover.
                  Anyhow, returning from this trip and sitting in a Starbucks in suburban Westchester right now makes me proud of this unique quality to my identity. I’m encouraged to speak Tagalog more frequently in my home, to hone and define what it means to be Am-Fil, and to be more interested in this element of my intersectional identity (i.e., QPOC). I feel like I’ve broken a boundary that has restricted me from exploring my Am-Fil identity and I could not be more excited for the future and what’s to come. Thank you so much IAP, SITMo, teachers, new-found friends, and IFR for allowing me to do this. See you soon :]

Margaret Palaghicon Von Rotz
UCLA
 
When I started this field school, my intention was to write a paper, learn some more Tuwali, and head home. I never imagined leaving the IAP (I say IAP because I'm still in Kiangan with family as I write this haha) and end this summer with some amazing friends and connections that I may never have had otherwise. I knew that coming home through the lens of archaeology would make me look at Ifugao differently, but I just never guessed how much! Returning to Kiangan without the IAP had me searching for our little road to Habian by Omar's, remembering the little waterfall on the way to our field days, reading the "Welcome to Tuplac" sign and passing by the way to Asipulo. There's suddenly new meaning to these roads, suddenly new people for me to visit with my family (hello SITMo!), and a new appreciation for where I come from.
 
The IAP taught me so much about myself on a cultural level; I've really learned to own my indigenous Tuwali identity while also be critical of my Western, outsider upbringing. Doc really challenged me after wayyyy too much bayah and asked "are you Fil-Am or Am-Fil?" Those types of exchanges really enriched my summer and make me thankful to now have these questions to constantly evaluate even after my summer here ends. 
 
But the IAP also taught me about myself and my goals. I came here with no intention to take an Anthro class or an archaeology class, and now I'm leaving with a newfound love and appreciation of archaeology. I actually LIKED digging in the hot sun, with fears of dengue, and even accessioning until I got carpal tunnel syndrome. No matter how grueling or tedious, I felt like I was not only learning but also contributing to a body of knowledge in a very concrete way. I was learning about and interacting with a people from the past in the most tangible way possible, and that's something I've been craving in many of my social science classes. 
 
I should probably mention the post-harvest rice festival, the Boklay Festival in Asipulo, because it truly captures just how much this summer meant to me, as a second-generation Tuwali-American. Some highlights: teaching dinnuy-a for the first time to friends, drinking bayah for the first time, and pounding rice for the first time! But what resonated most with me was my first time seeing a mumbaki perform. I'll admit, I had quite a bit of rice wine by the time he got to the offering of the chicken to the bulul, but as he butchered it, I literally started crying with tears streaming down my face. It wasn't my first rodeo with the butchering of animals, but I really had never experienced something so... Deep. In some weird way, listening to the baki made me feel like I connected with my mom as a young girl when she witnessed this very ceremony, connected with my late Apu, connected with all the generations who came before me and considered this type of moment sacred. And I cried, because I couldn't handle that much culture at once. Again, I might have been flushed by imbibing bayah, but even that sums up my summer pretty well LOL.
 
When I applied for this program, Doc gaffed at my "I'm thinking about sociology for my major" comment and said, "You know, a lot of students in the past have left the program with lifelong friends. They've also switched to anthropology and archaeology".  I remember thinking, "Sure, Doc. Whatever you say; I just want the chance to go home." I guess you can say I told you so when I get back to UCLA, Doc!
 
Much love and thanks to my new friends and colleagues from the IAP, and to SITMo for becoming a part of my Ifugao family. Thank you all for the most amazing summer and the beautiful memories! I can't wait to see all of you again, whenever that may be. To Ifugao, you will always be home to me. Haggiyo!