Funa-ay Claver is an Indigenous youth from the Cordillera, Philippines, specifically a Bontok from Mountain Province. She is currently a 4th year BA Creative Writing student in the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She actively participates in several Indigenous Peoples (IP) rights organizations, serving as the Secretary-General of Asia Young Indigenous Peoples Network and Spokesperson of KATRIBU Alliance. Funa-ay was published in Ili Press, based in Baguio City, for her poem, “Mountain-minded” and creative nonfiction piece, “The Butatiw.” She writes with the intention of shedding light on the IP struggle as well as to reclaim narratives of the Indigenous Peoples to battle cultural, social, and economic discrimination. “What We Choose to Keep”, the featured story for February,  is her first published short story. 

Welcome to Philippine Genre Stories, Funa-ay! What made you answer the call for submission? 

Other than looking for a home for “What We Choose to Keep,” I also am working towards being more active in the community of genre stories in the country. I love genre stories, I love fantasy, I love science fiction, I love everything and anything in between whatever genres are already well-known, which is why it is important to me to contribute to communities such as PGS.

Thanks for sending us your story and we are so happy to have you! How did you start exploring writing genre stories? Were there genre books or writers that have inspired you? 

I’ve always been into fantasy since I was young, continuously consuming the trilogies and sets that were popular during the 2010s. When I grew older and started becoming more aware of the Western-oriented characteristic of speculative fiction in general, I started looking into works that subverted expectations of the genre. “The Poppy Wars” trilogy by R.F. Kuang, “The Vanished Birds” by Simon Jimenz, and “Untethered Sky” by Fonda Lee are several of the few that really got me excited to write my own speculative fiction story that draws from my immediate surroundings, knowledge, and experiences.

We really appreciate it when authors share what books got them started, thank you! You said that you write with the intention of shedding light on the IP struggles and reclaim narratives of the IPs: how challenging is it to maintain this when it comes to your writing genre?

I find it tricky writing about the IP struggles using speculative fiction. I want to use the elements found in fantasy and science fiction to bring to light real-world struggles and narratives, and there is always a fine line between escapist and liberating. I am hoping that I am not the former, because my intentions are always aligned towards the bigger role of liberating the IP from typical colonial narratives.

An avenue for defamiliarization, yes. And what specifically  inspired you to write WHAT WE CHOOSE TO KEEP?

“What We Choose To Keep” draws from my mother’s experience when she got a scholarship to attend Pisay in Quezon City. She was a very young girl who was vaulted all alone from Bontoc, Mountain Province into an unfamiliar world, and it turned out that the world was actually unfamiliar to her. My mother only knew English (because of Bontoc’s colonial history) and her native language, and just a little bit of Filipino, exactly like Nini! When my mother told me that story, I felt seen, because I struggled with the same language gap when I was younger. So, in a way, Nini is an amalgamation of me and my mother.

Thanks for sharing how personal the story was. So many people certainly can empathize with struggling through our languages when you leave home. Speaking of home: among Filipino-authored works, which ones that you’ve recently read have influenced you the most and why? 

I recently finished reading Candy Gourlay’s “Bone Talk” and “Wild Song”, which is a fictional story that took place in Bontoc during the 1890s. I think the books were excellent, and Candy Gourlay was able to portray the Igorots with nuance and respect that I usually miss in contemporary Philippine literature. The Igorots were human in her books; they had agency. Gourlay inspired me to keep writing about the IP experience, and her authorship gives a positive challenge to Igorot authors to write to represent themselves. 

To write to represent ourselves, we love that! And in Philippine Genre Stories, which among the published works do you like the most so far and why?

Honest Reviews by Christine Lao knows when to hold back, and when to reveal information, something I find extremely difficult when writing prose because there is the tendency to say everything all at once. I love how even at the end, we are only given bits and pieces, and yet, a complete story is presented.

Tin Lao’s story is a reader favorite. 🙂 You’re in a Creative Writing program. What top 5 tips have you learned which you would like to share to aspiring storytellers out there? 

1. Write what you know, but also know what you want to write (AKA research).
2. Writers are social beings! Having a community where you can workshop each other’s work is not a requirement for writing, but it is extremely beneficial.
3. Allow your first draft to be messy, ugly, and imperfect.
4. Develop your “writer’s eye.” There is a story in everything you see.
5. Read what you want to write! Read what authors around you are publishing! Just keep reading.

And other than what you’ve shared in your bio, what is that one thing that you would like people to know about you?

I am a hobby collector. I taught myself how to crochet sweaters and sew blouses, hats, and bags. I’m currently trying out making necklaces with tiny pliers, chains, and my mother’s old beads. I wish there was nothing else to do but writing and hobbies.

Thank you so much again, Funa-ay, and we really feel fulfilled to have been able to feature your story!