Paper short abstract:

This paper considers local notions and practices of sustainability through a focus on the centrality of kin relations in the undertaking of Ifugao well-being rituals in light of changing subjectivities and the broadening of kinship ties in relation to mobility.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores the centrality of kin relations in Ifugao well-being rituals and the way this is embodied in both Ifugao and Christian practices undertaken for deceased kin and living kin who are afflicted with illnesses. As I suggest, a focus on matters of well-being considers how well-being rituals are invaluable to the expansion of kinship relations, particularly in light of changing subjectivities and the broadening of kinship ties in relation to mobility. Ifugao's concern for well-being and practices for its maintenance encapsulate how the living negotiates kinship ties even as descendants become different spiritual subjects than that of their ancestors and even as distances separate kin. Additionally, by focusing on how Christian and Ifugao values are adapted in the work undertaken for well-being matters, I contribute to further understanding Ifugao notions and practices of sustainability. As I consider in this paper, the carrying out of spiritual practices reveal how kinship ties expands people's social networks to include deceased kin. In this way, well-being rituals undertaken for deceased or ill kin demonstrate local notions and practices that require a redefinition of the term 'stakeholders' ubiquitous in development and conservation initiatives. As I will address, a look at religious adaptions in well-being rituals sheds light on how deceased kin play an active role in how people engage with social and environmental transformations, especially in regards to the well-being of kin across time and place.