''T'nalak'' (also spelled ''tinalak''), is a
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
tradition of the
T'boli
The Tboli people () are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Philippines, indigenous peoples of South Cotabato in southern Mindanao. In the body of ethnographic and linguistic literature on Mindanao, their name is variously spelt Tboli, T'boli, ...
people of
South Cotabato,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by women who have received the designs for the weave in their dreams, which they believe are a gift from Fu Dalu, the T'boli Goddess of
abacá
Abacá ( ; fil, Abaka ), binomial name ''Musa textilis'', is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant, also known as Manila hemp, has great economic impo ...
.
The rest of the community, including the men, are able to participate in the production of T'nalak by carefully selecting, stripping, and sun-drying the abacá fibers to be used.
Once the fibers have been prepared, they are dyed using the dye-resist technique called "ikat", based on the pattern dreamt by the weaver; the woman gifted by Fu Dalu with the design then weaves the cloth using a backstrap loom.
The fact that the designs are derived from the dreams of the weavers means that traditional t'nalak patterns cannot be mass-produced.
Because the patterns are based on dreams, the weavers of t'nalak are popularly referred to as ''dreamweavers.''
Production and history
![T'nalak weaver at Lake Sebu, North Cotabato](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/T%27nalak_weaver_at_Lake_Sebu%2C_South_Cotabato.jpg)
T'nalak weaving is part of the
intangible cultural heritage of the
Tboli people,
an indigenous people group in the Philippines whose
ancestral domain
Ancestral domain or ancestral lands refers to the lands, territories and resources of indigenous peoples, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The term differs from indigenous land rights, Aboriginal title or Native Title by directly indicat ...
is in the province of
South Cotabato, on the island of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
in the Philippines.
The production of the cloth is particularly associated with the shores of
Lake Sebu
Lake Sebu ( Tboli: ''Lanaw Sbù'', ; Hiligaynon: ''Linaw sg Sëbu'', ; Filipino: ''Lawa ng Sëbu'') is a natural lake located in the municipality of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato within the Alah Valley region. The Philippine government has recogn ...
, which is in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
the same name as the lake.
Dreamt designs from Fu Dalu
The weaving of traditional T'nalak cloth begins when a T'boli woman has a damgo (dream)
in which they encounter Fu Dalu, the T'boli Goddess of
abacá
Abacá ( ; fil, Abaka ), binomial name ''Musa textilis'', is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant, also known as Manila hemp, has great economic impo ...
and guardian of the T’nalak.
During these dreams, Fu Dalu shows the woman the designs that would eventually be woven into the cloth.
The dyeing and weaving processes are approached with extra care because the T'boli believe that Fu Dalo comes to inhabit each individual yarn.
Selection, stripping
The broader community, including the T'boli men, participate in the production of cloth during the abaca fiber selection and stripping process.
The fibers are taken from the stalk of the abacá (Musa textilis),
a banana plant species native to the Philippines. The fibers, which are very thin, are carefully stripped from the stalk with the use of a mounted blade, and then sun-dried.
Ikat dyeing
The fibers are then sun-dried, and then dyed using the indigenous dye-resist technique called "ikat." Sections of the abaca thread are coated by the weaver with a wax-resistant substance so that they will resist the dye. The process is repeated several times in order to suit the requirements of the design.
Weaving process
The weaver then implements the design on a backstrap loom, a process that can take up to two months, depending on the design revealed in the dream.
Offerings, such as woven blouses and jewelry, are traditionally left in the weaving area as tribute to Fu Dalo.
Description
This traditional cloth is hand-woven from carefully selected, stripped, and sun-dried ''
Abaca'' fibers.
The colorant of the materials are natural dyes produced by boiling the bark, roots and leaves of plants.
Unlike many of the colorful cloth patterns in Mindanao, T'nalak is distinctive in using only three different colors - black, white, and red.
Black serves as the background color, and is the dominant color of the cloth, while white is used to create different motifs. Red is typically used to accentuate the patterns.
Common motifs include the human, the crab, the shield, the lizard, and the traditional frog.
Dreamweaving
It is a heritage and believed that the intricate and creative patterns of the Tinalak was seen on their dreams and made it on to work. They can't create a design of the Tinalak if they haven't dreamed of it. They are sometimes called the "''Dream Weavers''".
Role in T’boli life
The T’nalak fabric holds a special and prominent place in T’boli culture. It is ever present in significant turning points in a Tboli life, such as birth, marriage, and death. It is the medium which sanctifies these rites, enveloping them in the length of its fabric like a benediction.
It has also often been referred to as “woven dreams”. It is exactly that, and more. In a culture which didn't have a form of writing, the T’nalak served as both Literature and Art. The T’bolis expressed everything they are in the T’nalak: their dreams, beliefs, myths and even their religion. Making use of the various geometrical patterns and the trademark red, black and white colors, the T’bolis weave the natural and the supernatural in the abaca strands of the T’nalak.
Furthermore, the weaving process integrates the personal, the social and the cultural. After a weaver reaches a certain degree of expertise, she becomes a “master weaver” – someone who can interpret and take inspiration from dreams, hence the term “dreamweavers”. By all accounts, this seems to be an intense personal experience for the weaver, and the moment she succeeds in doing this is the moment she becomes an artist. And then it is also social because the T’nalak binds together all that the T’boli people believe in. The skill of the weaver gathers in the T’nalak all the elements that make the T’boli social life. Finally, it is cultural in that it is the means through which other tribes identify the T’bolis since the T’nalak is uniquely and distinctly T’boli.
Tinalak are also their prized possession at marriage, even the covering for childbirth for ensuring safe delivery and for trading. Whenever they sell their work, they put a brass ring around it as for the spirits to allow them or to please. It is believed that cutting the cloth would deliver sickness.
Recognition
The t'nalak weaving tradition is acknowledged as part of the intangible cultural heritage of the T'boli and of the Philippines.
In recognition of the significance of t'nalak to Philippine culture and heritage, a t'nalak design pattern is shown on the reverse side of the
one thousand-peso note of the
New Generation Currency Series
The New Generation Currency (NGC) Series is the name used to refer to Philippine peso Banknotes of the Philippine peso, banknotes issued since 2010 and Coins of the Philippine peso, coins issued since 2018 (2017 for the Philippine five peso coin, ...
of
Philippine peso
The Philippine peso, also referred to by its Tagalog name ''piso'' (Philippine English: , , plural pesos; tl, piso ; sign: ₱; code: PHP), is the official currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 ''sentimo'', also called ...
banknotes
A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand.
Banknotes were originally issued ...
.
The Philippine province of South Cotabato, in which the Tboli have their ancestral domains, celebrates the T'nalak festival annually.
See also
*
Abacá
Abacá ( ; fil, Abaka ), binomial name ''Musa textilis'', is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant, also known as Manila hemp, has great economic impo ...
*
Batik
Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...
*
Inabel
Inabel, sometimes referred to as Abel Iloco or simply Abel, is a weaving tradition native to the Ilocano people of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. The textile it produces is sought after in the fashion and interior design industries due to its ...
*
Lang Dulay
Lang Dulay (August 3, 1928 - April 30, 2015) was a Filipino traditional weaver who was a recipient of the National Living Treasures Award.
She is credited with preserving her people's tradition of weaving ''T'nalak'', a dyed fabric made from ref ...
*
Malong
The malong is a traditional Filipino-Bangsamoro rectangular or tube-like wraparound skirt bearing a variety of geometric or okir designs. The malong is traditionally used as a garment by both men and women of the numerous ethnic groups in the mai ...
*
Piña
Piña ( ) is a traditional Philippine fiber made from the leaves of the pineapple plant. Pineapples are indigenous to South America but have been widely cultivated in the Philippines since the 17th century, and used for weaving lustrous lace-li ...
*
Tapis
*
Yakan people
The Yakan people are among the major indigenous Filipino ethnolinguistic groups in the Sulu Archipelago. Having a significant number of followers of Islam, it is considered one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines. The Yakans mainly resid ...
External links
T'nalak Dream Weaving
References
{{reflist
Philippine clothing
History of Asian clothing
Culture of South Cotabato
Philippine handicrafts