Respond to peer response (minimum 150 words)
2) Describe the issues with the local/ indigenous community in this case. How can governments better communicate with indigenous groups living in at risk locations?
The Pinatubo disaster was an eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines which has affected more then 50,000 people in destroyed homes, livelihoods, and damages. The Philippines is widely known for its indigenous cultures that settles there throughout history. (Cuadra, 2022) Indigenous communities are known to be more closed off from the rest of civilization and more exclusive to their cultural roots. The Ayata people felt the consequences of this disaster heavily, as many of them became displaced from their roots. The volcano that erupted was the center of their livelihood; farming, spiritual sources, and hunting all revolved around the volcano. The cultural differences between the Yata people and the government resulted in failed evacuation for many Ayata people which resulted in very poorly made evacuation spaces for the indigenous people. (Bautista, 2017). The government put no effort into working together with the indigenous people’s way of life when evacuating them, which caused disruption in their relationship and resulted in carelessness concerning the Ayata’s health and living situation after the evacuation. Many indigenous people got sick or died from diseases they were exposed to after evacuating their home. The exposure of the indigenous people with the rest of the citizens in the Philippines also resulted in other Philippians being exposed to new illnesses. (Gaillard, 2006) The indigenous people exposure to western medicine, and the governments understanding of an indigenous group’s way of life, would be crucial in future integration success and can reduce risk in any future evacuations. People are more likely to work together through differences if shown mutual respect, and because native indigenous people were there first, they deserve the initial respect of the government.
Bautista, C. (2017). The Mount Pinatubo Disaster and the People of Central Luzon. 1-16. University of Washington Press.
Gallard, J. (2006). International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters March 2006, Vol. 24, Traditional Societies in the Face of Natural Hazards: The 1991 Mt. Pinatubo Eruption and the Aetas of the Philippines. pp. 5-43
