Title: The Language of the Land: An Ecolinguistic Semiotic Analysis of Indigenous Soil Paintings
Authors: Crisse D. Villarba and Beverly P. Taga, PhD
Volume: 9
Issue: 4
Pages: 64-76
Publication Date: 2025/04/28
Abstract:
The 'Language of the Land' is vividly expressed in Waway Saway's soil paintings, which serve as cultural narratives reflecting the human-environment relationship and sustainable development. This study employs an ecolinguistic semiotic analysis, informed by Arran Stibbe's framework, to explore how these artworks articulate the interconnectedness of language, culture, and ecological sustainability within the Talaandig community. Utilizing Peirce's semiotic framework, it aims to: (1) identify the semiotic elements (icon, index, symbol) present in Waway Saway's soil paintings and analyze how they function within an ecolinguistic framework to convey ecological narratives; (2) determine the ecological ideologies and environmental understandings constructed through the visual language of Saway's paintings, and examine how these align with or diverge from UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 and SDG 4; and (3) determine the environmental meanings suggested by the signs. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, the study interprets signs, images, and symbols in Saway's paintings, focusing on their ecolinguistic significance. Findings reveal that the artworks function as semiotic repositories of: (a) peace as a foundational value for sustainable living; (b) the ancestral domain as a living, culturally significant ecosystem; (c) traditional tools as symbols of cultural resilience and sustainable resource management; and (d) key landmarks that signify the Talaandig community's profound connection to their territory. By understanding and promoting the cultural and ecological dimensions of sustainability, this study contributes to the broader discourse on achieving the UNESCO SDGs.