Jenevieve Aken

Mmonaya

BORACAY, PHILIPPINES 

2025

Mmonaya: A Journey of Rematriation to Mother Earth and the Waters of Life The project Mmonaya draws its name and inspiration from the language of the Bakor people, a group of minority tribes from Cross River State, Nigeria. The word meaning "Child of the Ocean." At its core, this performance is an exploration of the profound connection between water, birthing, and the act of returning to Mother Earth, a concept deeply rooted in Indigenous philosophies of rematriation.

Rematriation, unlike repatriation, is not just about returning objects/artefacts to its rightful place; it is a reclamation of ancestral relationships with land, water, and life itself. It is a return to the nurturing essence of creation, a reconnection with the sacred feminine that sustains us all. Water is central to this narrative. It is both a literal and symbolic source of life, a medium through which creation flows. From the amniotic fluid that cradles a foetus in the womb to the breaking waters that herald birth, water mirrors the cyclical rhythms of nature and humanity. It is a reminder that we are all children of the ocean connected to one another and to the Earth through this vital element. In Indigenous world-views, water is more than a resource; it is a living entity, a mother in her own right, deserving of respect and reverence. Mmonaya seeks to embody this understanding by bridging the intimate act of motherhood with the larger ecological narrative of Mother Earth. Just as a mother nourishes her child, so too does the Earth provide sustenance for all forms of life.

This performance becomes an act of rematriation—an artistic return to these origins, honouring the interconnectedness between human life and the planet. In celebrating motherhood and Mother Earth as intertwined forces, *Mmonaya* asks us to reimagine our place within this web of life. It challenges us to drink deeply from the cup of existence while remembering our responsibility to protect its source. Like waves returning endlessly to shore, it reminds us that our journey always leads back home—to water, to earth, to mother.