Across the Visayan languages, the word for ‘cooked rice’ is KAN-ON.
Could it be, perhaps, connected to KANLAON, the volcano found on Buglas (known today as Negros island)?
Rice is a ceremonial offering to the ancient Visayan divinity of harvest, known as Lalahon.
With its rich volcanic mineral soil, the base of Kanlaon Volcano has long been a center for agricultural abundance.
Today, at the foot of the volcano, in Kabankalan, farmers continue to cultivate what researchers now believe to be one of the most climate-flood-resistant rice species in the world.
The rice farmers struggle to harvest, not simply against climate change, but amidst land disputes from plantation owners and military harassment.
Shoutout to our Hiligaynon teacher, Geli @sinupladaa, for their research on this precious rice & the farmers who organize to protect their treasured harvest. Check out the full paper at @bulatlat!
Want to learn precolonial stories AND contemporary organizing on Visayan relationships to land and the environment? It’s the last week to join the Visayan language immersions.
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