This drama has been playing out in the Philippine media over the last week; the short version is that vlogger Nas Daily recently launched an online course featuring Whang Od, the 104-year-old keeper of the Kalinga tattooing tradition which was met with public backlash for cultural appropriation and exploitation. The vlogger claims he had gotten permission (floating a video with the elderly woman affixing her thumbprint on a contract), but others including the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples point several other problems: that the tradition does not belong to just Whang Od alone, that permission needed to be sought from the entire community and the legal authorities, that the principles of prior and informed consent were not sought and that sacred knowledge should not be commodified (or at the very least, not his to commodify). The online course has since been taken down (although it seems they are trying to get the appropriate permissions to get it back up). Here is a selection of news stories and social media posts explaining the situation in chronological order.
How It Started
04 August 2021: A social media post from Whang Od’s granddaughter, calling the online course a scam and that Whang Od did not know what she was getting herself into when the Nas Daily team came to film. (She appears to have since deactivated her Facebook).
Official Responses
05 August 2021: Nas Daily issues a statement, saying “…So we pitched her family the idea of creating Whang-Od Academy. Her and her family present both loved this idea, and have worked WITH US to build it, with Whang-Od teaching herself. As a matter of fact, Whang-Od’s trusted niece, Estella Palangdao, was present and translated the content of the contract prior to Whang-Od affixing her thumbprint, signifying her full consent to the project. This is the clearest evidence that it is not a scam and achieved the consent of her and her immediate family.”
06 August 2021: The National Council on Indigenous Peoples issues a statement entitled “Bandying a contract on social media is not a proof of compliance”
08 August 2021: Nas Daily issues a statement saying they are working with the NCIP to resolve the issue. The course was taken down from their website a few days prior.
News stories
- Nas Daily takes down ‘Whang-od Academy’ course amid backlash | CNN Philippines, 04 August 2021
- Nas Academy maintains Whang-Od ‘consented’ to tattoo masterclass | CNN Philippines, 05 August 2021
- Nas Academy issues statement on Whang-Od controversy | Manila Bulletin, 05 August 2021
- Whang-Od’s alleged contract with Nas Academy to be reviewed | ABS CBN News, 06 August 2021
- Nas Academy denies profiting off beloved Filipino tattoo artist Whang-Od Oggay | Yahoo News, 06 August 2021
- Popular vlogger Nas Daily under fire for ‘exploiting’ PH culture | MSN, 06 August 2021
- Nas Daily cheapens Whang-od | Manila Bulletin, 07 August 2021
- More Than an Unfollow, the Nas Daily-Whang Od Issue Is About Protecting Our Culture | Spot.Ph, 07 August 2021
- Anthropologist Weighs In on What Went Wrong with Nas Daily and Whang-Od | Candy, 07 August 2021
- On Whang-Ud’s tattoo ‘master class’: Where do you draw the line? | Inquirer.net, 08 August 2021
