Hi!
I recently attended a session at the Asian Art Museum where Mylene talked to us about her organization Balik sa Dagat Bangka Journey (Return to the Sea). Balik sa Dagat Bangka Journey is a group that makes canoes (don't call them boats unless you want to be tossed in the water) to reconnect with their Pacific Islander heritage. Many lessons are learned when creating these vessels like patience and teamwork. This group also advocates using canoe building as a way to heal from trauma whether it be sexual assault or ancestral suffering.
After hearing about this amazing group we got to make our own canoes out of recycled bottles, paper, glue, sticks, etc. I made my canoe, which I named Lily Pad, out of the bottom of a plastic bottle, green and blue tissue paper and double sided tap.
It was a really fun and simple project, and it's going to be offered at the Asian Art Museum during their Filipino American History Month Celebration October 5th. Come try it out.
- Aliya
