NAKEM Centennial Conference

I WISH TO EXTEND MY WARMEST GREETINGS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE NAKEM CONFERENCES, INCORPORATED FOR UNDERTAKING AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR OUR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE EDUCATORS.

IN BEHALF OF THE OFFICIALS AND THE CONSTITUENTS OF ILOCOS NORTE, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS OF ENTHUSIASM REGARDING THE POSITIVE OUTPUTS THAT WILL POSSIBLY RESULT FROM THIS CONFERENCE. I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS LAUDABLE ACTIVITY WILL INSPIRE AND ENABLE OUR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE ADVOCATES AND SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMON VISION OF FORGING AN INTERFACE BETWEEN NATIONALIST IDEALS, GLOBAL REQUISITES FOR COMPETENCIES AND INDIGENOUS RIGHT PROMOTION AND ASSERTION. I CONSIDER THIS AS A DIFFICULT TASK, YET, I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN WITH YOUR SUSTAINED SUPPORT.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONVEY MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR INTELLECTUAL AND ENRICHING CONCEPTS IN THE PROMOTION AND PERPETUATION OF ILOKANO AND AMIANAN CULTURES, AND FOR TAKING A COMMENDABLE PART IN THE SOCIO-CIVIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PROVINCE. THE RENAISANCE OF THE ILOCANO HERITAGE WILL DEFINITELY INSPIRE OUR PEOPLE TO APPRECIATE OUR REGIONAL IDENTITY, OUR CULTURE AND OUR WAY OF LIFE AS ILOKANOS. I BELIEVE THIS WILL BRING TO LIGHT, NOT ONLY A UNIFIED PEOPLE, BUT ALSO A PROGRESSIVE AND PEACEFUL COMMUNITY.

It is certainly a distinct honor and privilege for Mariano Marcos State University to host the 2^nd Nakem International Conference on 22-25 May 2007. I take this as a fitting sequel to the 1st Nakem held at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on 9-12 November 2006 and as a happy initial and productive outcome of the Joint UH-MMSU Administrators Conference at UHM on 28-29 November 2006.

As 2006 Nakem was the inaugural conference that was synergistically spurred by the centennial celebration of the sakadas in Hawaii, so is this 2007 Nakem the inaugural conference on native soil – the Ilocos – that is expected to generate a strong collaboration among institutions in Regions I, II, and CAR and anywhere there are Ilokanos in the country and abroad. For if we do not take the challenge, who will? And if we do not move now, many rich opportunities for critical study of ourselves may be lost forever.

Ilocos and Amianan Studies which constitute the heart and soul of the Nakem conferences aim to situate and define Ilokanoness both on the global and local settings on a scholarly perspective. We salute the wisdom of the exilic professors who responsibly discerned this need and created ripples for this cause. These ripples have reached our shores like a clarion call. We know that we owe it to the future generations and even ours to clarify our identity before global influences bring our culture to extinction.

This is not to say that we will alienate ourselves from the nation. Rather, we will focus on the local to see what we can contribute to the national and in so doing, create a holistic understanding of our Filipinoness.

The rich discourses and research presentations by advocates of Ilokano language and culture from across the globe during the 1^stNakem International Conference at the University of Hawaii at Manoa late last year provided participants with much intellectual excitement. The ease and passion with which foreign (such as a Japanese and an Australian) and exilic (such as Fil-Ams in Hawaii and the U.S. Mainland) presenters navigated through narratives and critical studies of various facets of Ilokano culture sent inspiring and challenging messages for similar pursuits in the homeland.

Thus, Nakem ’07 was conceived to be held at Ilocos in Amianan, Philippines – the origin of the culture in point. Responses of various individuals and institutions to the call for committed involvement in this endeavor has been very encouraging. There is, right here and now in Ilokandia and Amianan, a fervored awakening into the beauty and exciting possibilities of IAS.

Our forefathers have blessed us with a rich cultural heritage. Our fellow Ilokanos, then and now, have traversed all directions - locally and globally – transplanting and reinventing our culture. Ours is the moral obligation to recapture, preserve, promote and advance this heritage even as we must also critically consider and write the segments of history that is unfolding.

Toward this goal, we need concerted effort. The multi- and interdisciplinary approach whereby the strength of each discipline would support the other is the proposed methodology; a network that will hasten the development and maturing of an IAS program is the proposed strategy.

Agkakammayettayo ngarud a mangsukisok, manganag, ken mangibunannag iti kananakem ni Ilokano ta addanto met ituloy dagiti sumarsaruno kadatayo.

Dear Participants in the 2007 Nakem Conference:

The College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa is the home of the Ilokano Language and Philippine Drama and Film Program. We are proud to say that this outstanding program is the only one of its kind outside The Philippines. We are committed to educating our Hawai‘i community about the importance of studying the language and culture of one of our most significant immigrant groups. Our excellent faculty and our ever-growing body of students are testimony to the wisdom of our commitment.

We are very pleased to extend hands of welcome across the ocean to this year’s Nakem participants at Mariano Marcos State University. We wish all of you great success in your meetings, presentations, and conversations. We are confident that you will push forward the ambitious agenda you have set for yourselves.

Next year, we look forward to welcoming you back to Hawai‘i for the 2008 Nakem conference. Until then, we offer our aloha and best wishes.

Sincerely,
Joseph H. O’Mealy
Interim Dean
College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature

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Babaen ti pannakibinnulig ti Mariano Marcos State University—pannakibinnulig nga uray idi damo ket awan duadua no di ket napnuan iti kinatakneng ken kinanakem—pakaidayawanmi iti programa ti Ilokano and Philippine Drama and Film iti Unibersidad ti Hawai`i iti Manoa ti pannakaisayangkat ti 2007 Nakem Conference iti umuna unay a gundaway iti ruar ti Estados Unidos a nakainawan daytoy a tignayan.

Maikanatad nga iti Ilokos ken Amianan nga agsubli ti Nakem Conference. Ti tema ti kumperensia iti daytoy a tawen ket nainnakeman a panangbigbig iti akem dagiti kur-itan, kannawid, ken kapampanunotan dagiti amin a taga-Amianan—amin nga in-inabo dagiti bambantay ken bengbengkag ken dandanum a nangmuli kadagiti amin a nakautang iti daytoy a lugar, naiyanak man kadagiti sulsulinek wenno il-ili wenno sensentro wenno kapada a nagtalawataw, nagkalkallautang, wenno nagbaybayanggudaw kadagiti sabali a dagdaga, sabali nga il-ili, sabali a tataeng, sabali a siudsiudad ken panawen ken pannakigasanggasat ngem kankanayon nga agsubli kadagiti pantok wenno daga wenno karayan a nakikammaysaan dagiti puseg dagiti anito a naggapgappuan.

Ngarud, kaduami ti MMSU a mangidaton daytoy a kumperensia kadagiti amin a taga-Ilokos ken taga-Amianan ken kadagiti amin nga agregget a mangilala iti kinaasinno, iti kultura, iti kananakem. Ararawmi a daytoy a kumperensia ken dagiti sabali pay nga angayen ken isayangkattayo ket agbunga iti maysa pay a tignayan, ti International Academy for Ilokano and Amianan Studies, tignayan mangtaming kadagiti programa ti panagsukisok ken panagimaldit maipapan iti kina-Ilokano ken kinataga-Amianan ken ti promosion ken produksion dagiti adal ken ammo maipapan iti kina-Filipino ni taga-Ilokos ken taga-Amianan, adda man isuna iti pagilian wenno adda iti ballasiw-taaw.

Inton Nobiembre 2008, awisendakayo nga umay makitaripnong iti sumuno a Nakem Conference iti Unibersidad ti Hawai`i.