Utopia? Nirvana? Buen Vivir? It’s KËBAYABAYA for us.
As we celebrate International #MotherLanguage Day, today, we wanted to share about unique words spoken in our various indigenous languages.
For the Teduray and Lambangian peoples of Maguindanao, “Këbayabaya” is a word that means a state of ideal living, a comfortable living. For them, this means being 
free from discrimination, oppression, and suppression in their ancestral domains. This is what defines their right to self-determination and governance.
free from discrimination, oppression, and suppression in their ancestral domains. This is what defines their right to self-determination and governance.
Unfortunately, the Teduray and Lambangian communities still do not have Këbayabaya in sight, as they continue to be denied of due recognition for their ancestral domain for already 28 years running. With no protections for their territories, they have continuously faced violence, displacement, and marginalization to date.
Këbayabaya is possible when the Teduray and Lambangian territories are recognized by the government as their ancestral domain. By declaring their lands as ancestral domains, the Teduray Lambangian can properly assert their rights to cultivate and thrive, becoming one step closer to Këbayabaya. Do you know any words in your language that speaks to you like Këbayabaya?
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