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This book serves as an initiative to safeguard the Agta People cultural heritage for forthcoming generations,

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The first section of this book (texts), brings together scientists exploring various intriguing facets of the Agta culture. This encompasses their cooperative tendencies, gender equality, collective involvement in child rearing, social structure, nomadic lifestyle, networks of shared knowledge, and their adaptive history as hunter-gatherers, all interconnected with their unique storytelling traditions.

We hear from people who have directly interacted with the Agta. This includes those from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, doctors helping the Agta, and those protecting Agta Forests. We also talk about our plans to help the Agta to protect their environment as they adapt to market changes. We also bring texts from the Agta themselves telling us important events of their childhood and how stories shape their beliefs. Agta Elders, tells us about their experiences describing a world where real and mystical beings interact without limits.

 

In the second section of this book, we bring you a great collection of photos of the Agta People, which tells visually their lifestyle and history of our shared experiences during all the years we camped with them. In some of those images we have great and loved friends who are not here among us anymore, but I am sure they will be celebrating this book in another way. 

 

In the third and last section, we get to the Agta tales. They are presented in four languages (Agta, Tagalog, English and German), and hopefully will be enjoyed by Agta children and other children around the World. They give us a great glimpse into the Agta norms of cooperation, gender equality, friendship, loyalty and spirituality. 

For the Agta people, stories are a way to pass down their deep knowledge of the environment, their history, and their imagination. These stories help connect generations, guide behavior, and maintain a link with their ancestors. Sometimes, it's hard to tell where imagination ends and reality begins, creating a magical essence that facilitates the transfer of crucial knowledge from Elders to children. This book combines Agta stories with Western science, aiming to offer a glimpse into the Agta world for both children and adults worldwide.

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