Locating Decolonisation Discourses in Philippine Archaeology

Janine Ochoa1* and Sharmila Parmanand2

1University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines; 2London School of Economics, United Kingdom; *jochoa@up.edu.ph

Decolonisation comprises diverse political projects and movements across various fields of practice. In Philippine archaeology, there are increasing concerns and clamour to decolonise discourses and research practices. Such calls can be partially traced from existing and continuing legacies of postcolonial scholarship and indigenisation movements. Participatory, community, and Indigenous archaeology research methodologies are increasingly espoused by practitioners in the archipelago. However, decolonisation is a highly contested site/concept that also draws many discontents. Decolonial advocates suggest that decolonisation is ‘not just a metaphor’ for theorising knowledge, and that it must be located within broader emancipatory and self-determination struggles of various groups. There is also a lot of ambivalence and skepticism with regards to decolonial approaches. In this short commentary, we try to locate decolonising practices in Philippine archaeology, and situate these within broader decolonial discourses. In doing so, we put forward an invitation to open up Philippine archaeological praxis to further re-thinking through liberatory and decolonial lenses that underscore and perhaps envision other ways of doing and being.