Project Report - La Trobe University

Our wish list Project goals and objectives
We had a number of different goals we wanted to
reach by the end of the project.
At the forefront of our minds, and in direct
response to Fargwog’s initial request, was our
hope to facilitate transmission of the Ichananaw’s
cultural heritage to the tribe’s next generation.
Simultaneously, our twin goal was to improve the
quality of public elementary education in
Chananaw by making education more culturally
appropriate.
Specifically, our objectives relating to cultural
documentation and education were:
� Education through culture – to design, review
and produce educational materials (for
teachers and students), which are relevant,
culturally-specific and appropriate for use at
the Dananao Elementary School.
� Culture through education – to incorporate the
Ichananaw’s cultural heritage in public
education, via instructional materials with
Ichananaw-specific content.
But apart from being clear about these goals and
objectives, we didn’t specify exactly what shape the
educational materials would take.
As well as this, we also wanted to make the most of
our own social capital (being educated foreigners
with well-established networks in the Philippines
in the spheres of development, academia and
education) in order to link the Ichananaw to
organizations who may also be interested in
engaging with them.
In a broader sense, we hoped that the five months
would act as a springboard for future involvement
with the Ichananaw – by us, by Philippine NGOs, or
by any others interested within the Philippine or
Australian communities – for development on the
tribe’s own terms. We were especially conscious of
how short a time we had to do anything in-depth.
The stairs leading from the Dananao Elementary School
grounds up to the Roman Catholic church in Chomang,
another purok in Chananaw.