 Cordilleran (Igorot) dancers in traditional attire performing a cultural dance with gangsa (gongs). | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,854,556[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Philippines(Cordillera Administrative Region,Ilocos Region,Cagayan Valley) | |
| Languages | |
| Bontoc,Ilocano,Itneg,Ibaloi,Isnag,Kankanaey,Bugkalot,Kalanguya,Isinai,Filipino,English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Catholicism,Protestantism),Animism (Indigenous Philippine folk religions),Islam |
Theindigenous peoples of the Cordillera in northernLuzon,Philippines, often referred to by theexonymIgorot people,[2] or more recently, as theCordilleran peoples,[2] are anethnic group composed of nine mainethnolinguistic groups whose domains are in theCordillera Mountain Range, altogether numbering about 1.8 million people in the early 21st century.[1]
Their languages belong to thenorthern Luzon subgroup ofPhilippine languages, which in turn belongs to theAustronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) family. A 2014 genetic study has found that theKankanaey (an Igorot subgroup fromMountain Province), and by extension other indigenous Cordillera groups, descend almost entirely from the ancientAustronesian expansion originating inTaiwan around 3000-2000 BCE[3]
From the root wordgolot, which means "mountain,"Igolot means "people from the mountains", a reference to any of various ethnic groups in the mountains of northern Luzon. During theSpanish colonial era, the term was variously recorded asIgolot,Ygolot, andIgorrote, compliant toSpanish orthography.[4]
TheendonymsIfugao orIpugaw (also meaning "mountain people") are used more frequently by the Igorots themselves, asigorot is viewed by some as slightly pejorative,[5] except by theIbaloys.[6] The Spanish borrowed the termIfugao from the lowland Gaddang and Ibanag groups.[5]
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The Igorots may be roughly divided into two general subgroups: the larger group lives in the south, central and western areas, and is very adept atrice-terracefarming; the smaller group lives in the east and north. Prior toSpanish colonisation of the islands, the peoples now included under the term did not consider themselves as belonging to a single, cohesive ethnic group.[5]
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The Bontok ethnolinguistic group can be found in the central and east portions of the Mountain Province. It mainly consists of theBalangaos andGaddangs, with a significant portion who identify as part of the Kalinga group. The Bontok live in a mountainous territory, particularly close to the Chico River and its tributaries. Mineral resources (gold,copper,limestone,gypsum) can be found in the mountain areas. Gold, in particular, has been traditionally extracted from the Bontoc municipality.
TheChico River provides sand, gravel, and white clay, while the forests of Barlig and Sadanga within the area have rattan, bamboo and pine trees.[7] They are the second largest group in theMountain Province.[7] The Bontoc live on the banks of theChico River. They speakBontoc andIlocano. They formerly practiced head-hunting and had distinctive body tattoos. The Bontoc describe three types of tattoos: Thechak-lag′, the tattooed chest of the head taker;pong′-o, the tattooed arms of men and women; andfa′-tĕk, for all other tattoos of both sexes. Women were tattooed on the arms only.
The Ibaloi (also Ibaloy, Ibaluy, Nabaloi, Inavidoy, Inibaloi, Ivadoy) and Kalanguya (also Kallahan and Ikalahan) are one of theindigenous peoples of thePhilippines who live mostly in the southern part ofBenguet, located in theCordillera of northernLuzon, the eastern part ofLa Union ofIlocos Region andNueva Vizcaya in theCagayan Valley region with a population of 209,338 as of 2020. They were traditionally an agrarian society. Many of the Ibaloi and Kalanguya people continue with their agriculture and rice cultivation.
Their native language belongs to theMalayo-Polynesian branch of theAustronesian languages family and is closely related to thePangasinan language, primarily spoken in the province ofPangasinan, located southwest of Benguet.
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Baguio, the major city of theCordillera, dubbed the "Summer Capital of the Philippines," is located in southern Benguet.
The largest feast of the Ibaloi is thePeshit or Pedit, a public feast mainly sponsored by people of prestige and wealth.Peshit can last for weeks and involves the killing and sacrifice of dozens of animals.
One of the more popular dances of the Ibaloi is thebendian, a mass dance participated in by hundreds of male and female dancers. Originally a victory dance in time of war, it evolved into a celebratory dance. It is used as entertainment (ad-adivay) in thecañao feasts, hosted by the wealthy class (baknang).[8]
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Ifugaos are the people inhabitingIfugao province. They come from the municipalities of Lagawe (Capital Town), Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lamut, Mayoyao, and Tinoc. The province is one of the smallest provinces in the Philippines with an area of only 251,778 hectares, or about 0.8% of the total Philippine land area. It has a temperate climate and is rich in mineral and forest products.[9]
The term "Ifugao" is derived from "ipugo" which means "earth people", "mortals" or "humans", as distinguished from spirits and deities. It also means "from the hill", aspugo means hill.[9] The termIgorot orYgolote was the term used by the Spanish colonial officials for mountain people. The Ifugaos, however, prefer the nameIfugao.
As of 2020, the population of the Ifugaos was counted to be 207,498. Although the majority of them are still in Ifugao province, some of them already transferred toBaguio, where they worked as woodcarvers, and to other parts of the Cordillera region.[9] They are divided into subgroups based on the differences in dialects, traditions, and design/color of costumes. The main subgroups are Ayangan, Kalangaya, and Tuwali.
Furthermore, the Ifugao society is divided into three social classes: thekadangyans or the aristocrats, thetagus or the middle class, and thenawotwots or the poor ones. Thekadangyans sponsor the prestige rituals calledhagabi anduyauy and this separates them from thetagus who cannot sponsor feasts but are economically well off. Thenawotwots are those who have limited land properties and are usually hired by the upper classes to do work in the fields and other services.[9]
The Kalanguya or Ikalahan people are a small group distributed amongst the mountain ranges ofSierra Madre, theCaraballo Mountains, and the eastern part of the Cordillera mountain range. The main population resides in theNueva Vizcaya province, with Kayapa as the center. They are considered to be part of the Igorot (mountain people) but distinguish themselves with the name Ikalahan, the name taken from the forest trees that grow in the Caraballo Mountain.[10]
They are among the least studied ethnic groups, thus their early history is unknown. However,Felix M. Keesing suggests that, like other groups in the mountains, they fled from the lowlands to escape Spanish persecution.[10]
TheIsinai/Isinay are a small ethnic group living in theCagayan Valley, specifically in the municipalities ofBambang,Dupax del Sur,Aritao inNueva Vizcaya, as well as aroundQuirino province, and in the northern areas of Nueva Ecija and Aurora. Their ethnic communities show a decline in population, with only around 12,600 members on record. They speak theIsinai language (also spelled Isinay), which is aNorthern Luzon language primarily spoken inNueva Vizcayaprovince in the northernPhilippines. Bylinguistic classification, it is more divergent from otherSouth-Central Cordilleran languages, such asKalinga,Itneg orIfugao andKankanaey.[11]
The Isnag, also Isneg or Apayao, live at the northwesterly end of northern Luzon, in the upper half of the Cordillera province ofApayao. The term "Isneg" derives fromitneg, meaning inhabitants of theTineg River. Apayao derives from the battle cryMa-ap-ay-ao as their hand is clapped rapidly over their mouth. They may also refer to themselves asImandaya if they live upstream, orImallod if they live downstream. The municipalities in the Isneg domain include Pudtol, Kabugao, Calanasan, Flora, Conner, Sta. Marcela, and Luna. Isnag populations also live in the eastern area of the province ofIlocos Norte, specifically the municipalities of Adams, Carasi, Marcos, Dingras, Vintar, Dumalneg and Solsona; and in the Northwestern part of the province of Cagayan, specifically the municipalities of Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Pamplona and Sanchez Mira. Two major river systems, theAbulog River and theApayao River, run through Isnag country.[12]
Jars ofbasi are half-buried in the ground within a small shed,abulor, constructed of 4 posts and a shed. Thisabulor is found within the open space,linong orsidong, below their houses (balay). They grow upland rice, while also practicing swidden farming and fishing.[12]: 99–100, 102
Say-am was an important ceremony after a successful headhunting, or other important occasions, hosted by the wealthy, and lasting one to five days or more. Dancing, singing, eating, and drinking mark the feast, and Isnegs wear their finest clothes. The shaman,Anituwan, prays to the spirit Gatan, before the first dog is sacrificed, if a human head had not been taken, and offered at the sacred tree,ammadingan.
On the last day, a coconut is split in honor of the headhunter guardian, Anglabbang.ThePildap is an equivalentsay-am but hosted by the poor. Conversion to Christianity grew after 1920, and today, the Isnegs are divided in their religious beliefs, with some still being animistic.[12]: 107–108, 110–111, 113
Otherwise known as Itineg, meaning"people living near theTineg River" (exonyms:Tinguian, Tinguianes, Itinek, Mandaya, Tingian), they live in the mountainous area ofAbra andIlocos Sur in northwestern Luzon who descended from immigrants from Kalinga, Apayao, and the Northern Kankana-ey; they also live inNueva Era, Ilocos Norte. They refer to themselves asItneg, though the Spaniards called themTingguian when they came to the Philippines because they are mountain dwellers.
As of 2020, The total population of the Itnegs are 100,806.[13] The Tingguians are further divided into 11 distinct subgroups which are the Adasen, Balatok, Banao, Belwang, Binongan, Gobang, Inlaud, Mabaka, Maeng, Masadiit and Moyadan. Wealth and material possessions (such as Chinese jars, copper gongs calledgangsa, beads, rice fields, and livestock) determine the social standing of a family or person, as well as the hosting of feasts and ceremonies. Despite the divide of social status, there is no sharp distinction between rich (baknang) and poor. Wealth is inherited but the society is open for social mobility of the citizens by virtue of hard work.Medium are the only distinct group in their society, but even then it is only during ceremonial periods.[14]
The Ilongot (or Ibilao) are a tribe who inhabit the southernSierra Madre andCaraballo Mountains, on the east side ofLuzon in thePhilippines, primarily in the provinces ofNueva Vizcaya andNueva Ecija and along the mountain border between the provinces ofQuirino andAurora.[15] An alternative name of this tribe and itslanguage is "Bugkalot". They are known as a tribe of headhunters.Presently, there are about 87,000 Ilongots. The Ilongots tend to inhabit areas close to rivers, as they provide a food source and a means for transportation. Their native language is theIlongot language, currently spoken by about 50,000 people. They also speak theIlocano &Tagalog languages, the latter is spoken in Nueva Ecija & Aurora as much as Ilocano.
The Kalingas are mainly found inKalinga province which has an area of 3,282.58 sq.km. Some of them, however, already migrated toMountain Province,Apayao,Cagayan, andAbra.[16] As of 2020, they were counted to be 212,983, not including those who have migrated outside the Cordillera region.[17]
Kalinga territory includes floodplains ofTabuk, andRizal, plus theChico River. Gold and copper deposits are common inPasil andBalbalan. Tabuk was settled in the 12th century, and from there other Kalinga settlements spread, practicing wet rice (papayaw) andswidden (uwa) cultivation. Kalinga houses (furoy,buloy,fuloy,phoyoy,biloy) are either octagonal for the wealthy, or square, and are elevated on posts (a few as high as 20–30 feet), with a single room. Other buildings include granaries (alang) and field sheds (sigay).[16][18]
The nameKalinga came from the Ibanag and Gaddang termkalinga, which meansheadhunter.Edward Dozier divided Kalinga geographically into three sub-cultures and geographical position: Balbalan (north); Pasil, Lubuagan, and Tinglayan (south); and Tanudan (east). Teodoro Llamzon divided the Kalinga based on their dialects: Guinaang, Lubuagan, Punukpuk, Tabuk, Tinglayan, and Tanudan.[16]
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TheKankanaey people (Kankanai orKankana-ey) are native to WesternMountain Province, northernBenguet, northeasternLa Union, and southeasternIlocos Sur, with a population of 466,970 as of 2020.[19] The Kankanaey have two distinct sub-groups: theNorthern Kankanaey, or Applai, who live inSagada andBesao in western Mountain Province and constitute a linguistic group, and the Southern Kankanaey, who live in the mountainous regions of Mountain Province and Benguet, specifically in the municipalities ofTadian,Bauko,Sabangan,Bakun,Kibungan,Buguias, andMankayan.
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Kankanaey houses include the two-storyinnagamang, the largerbinangi, the cheapertinokbob, and the elevatedtinabla. Their granaries (agamang) are elevated to avoid rats. Two other institutions of the Kankanaey of Mountain Province are thedap-ay, or the men's dormitory and civic center, and theebgan, or the girls' dormitory.[20][21]
Kankanaey's major dances includetayaw,pat-tong,takik (a wedding dance), andbalangbang. Thetayaw is a community dance that is usually done in weddings it maybe also danced by the Ibaloi but has a different style.Pattong, also a community dance from Mountain Province which every municipality has its own style, whileBalangbang is the dance's modern term. There are also some other dances like thesakkuting,pinanyuan (another wedding dance) andbogi-bogi (courtship dance).
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Below is a list of northern Luzon ethnic groups organized by linguistic classification.
Different Igorot groups speak theIlocano language as alingua franca for better communication amongst their people because many Cordilleran languages have varyingdialect continuums through different tribes and different localities. They also utilize the Ilocano language to communicate with ethnic Ilocanos and other non-Ilocanosecond-language speakers such as theIbanags. Along with Ilocano, they also speakTagalog andEnglish as lingua francas.
TheKan-Kankanaey (an Igorot subgroup from theMountain Province of the Northern Philippines), and by extension other indigenous Cordillera groups, descend almost entirely from the ancientAustronesian expansion originating inTaiwan around 3000-2000 BCE.[3] ADMIXTURE analyses show their ancestry is remarkably homogeneous, with nearly 100% of their genetic makeup matching the "k6" component most closely shared with Taiwan's indigenousAmi andAtayal peoples.[27] This genetic profile shows minimal admixture with other Asian populations over millennia.
There are Igorot minorities outside their homeland. Outside the Cordillera Administrative Region, they reside in neighboring provinces ofIlocos region,Cagayan Valley,Central Luzon (particularlyNueva Ecija &Aurora),Metro Manila andCalabarzon, (where Igorot Village is located inCainta,Rizal)[28] andBicol Region.[29]
InVisayas, Igorots also form minority communities inAklan,Iloilo,Negros Occidental,Negros Oriental,Cebu,Siquijor,Bohol,Biliran andLeyte.[29]
Igorots are also found as a minority in several areasMindanao, setting communities inAgusan del Norte,Tagum City,Davao City,Digos City (Igorot Village is also found in the mountainous area in the city),[29] few other parts ofDavao del Sur,Davao de Oro,North Cotabato,South Cotabato,Sultan Kudarat,Lanao del Norte[29] andBukidnon.[30] Most of them are soldiers, policemen and government officials who are temporarily deployed in the area, but many have settled permanently as civilians retired from their posts and intermarried with the Mindanaoans of various ethnicities. There is an organization for Igorot residents of Mindanao.
Igorots can also be found in other countries, mostly as overseas workers.[31][32]
The gold found in the land of the Igorot was an attraction for the Spanish.[33] Originally gold was exchanged at Pangasinan by the Igorot.[34] The gold was used to buy consumable products by the Igorot.[35] Both gold and desire to Christianize the Igorot were given as reasons for Spanish conquest.[36] In 1572 the Spanish started hunting for the gold.[37] Benguet Province was entered by the Spanish with the intention of obtaining gold.[38] The fact that the Igorots managed to stay out of Spanish dominion vexed the Spaniards.[39] The gold evaded the hands of the Spaniards due to Igorot opposition.[40] The Igorot would also be used as mercenaries and scouts during thePhilippine Revolution and thePhilippine-American War.[41][42]
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Samuel E. Kane wrote about his life amongst the Bontoc, Ifugao, and Kalinga after the Philippine–American War in his bookThirty Years with the Philippine Head-Hunters (1933).[43] The first American school for Igorot girls was opened inBaguio in 1901 by Alice McKay Kelly.[43]: 317 Kane argued thatDean C. Worcester "did more than any one man to stophead-hunting and to bring the traditional enemy tribes together in friendship."[43]: 329 Kane wrote of the Igorot people, "there is a peace, a rhythm and an elemental strength in the life...which all the comforts and refinements of civilization can not replace...fifty years hence...there will be little left to remind the young Igorots of the days when the drums andganzas of the head-huntingcanyaos resounded throughout the land.[43]: 330–331
In 1903, missionary bishopCharles Brent traveled through northern Luzon, in hopes of directing missionary efforts to convert the pagan Igorot populace. A mission church was established for theBontoc tribe of the Igorots in theBontoc, Mountain Province. The Bontoc missionaries wrote the first Igorot grammars, which were published by the government.[44]
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In 1904, a group of Igorot people were brought toSt. Louis, Missouri, United States, for theSt. Louis World's Fair. They constructed the Igorot Village in the Philippine Exposition section of the fair, which became one of the most popular exhibits. The poetT. S. Eliot, who was born and raised in St. Louis, visited and explored the Village. Inspired by their tribal dance and others, he wrote the short story, "The Man Who Was King" (1905).[45] In 1905, 50 tribespeople were on display at a Brooklyn, New York, amusement park for the summer, ending in the custody of the unscrupulousTruman Hunt, a showman "on the run across America with the tribe in tow."[46]
On February 12, 1912, aMountain Province Igorot chief named Gagaban became the first Filipino to fly in an airplane, riding as a passenger in a biplane called the "Red Devil" with Lee Hammond as the pilot.[47]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(March 2023) |
During theJapanese occupation of the Philippines, Igorotsfought against Japan.Donald Blackburn's World War IIguerrilla force had a strong core of Igorots.[48]: 148–165 A young Igorot woman,Naomi Flores, was an important member of the Miss U Spy Ring.[49] GeneralTomoyuki Yamashita surrendered to Filipino and American forces inKiangan, Ifugao in early September 1945;[50]a shrine was built in the town commemorating his surrender.[51]
On June 18, 1966,Republic Act No. 4695 was enacted to splitMountain Province and create four separate and independent provinces namely Benguet, Ifugao,Kalinga-Apayao, and Mountain Province.[52][53] Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao were placed under the jurisdiction of theCagayan Valley region,[54] with Benguet and Mountain Province placed under theIlocos Region.
After the declaration ofmartial law byFerdinand Marcos in 1972, the region became the focus of militarization as a result of local objections to the government's push for theChico River Dam Project nearSadanga, Mountain Province, andTinglayan, Kalinga.[55][56][57] Frustrated by the project delays caused by the opposition, Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree no. 848 in December 1975, constituting the municipalities of Lubuagan, Tinglayan, Tanudan, and Pasil into a "Kalinga Special Development Region" (KSDR),[58] in an effort to neutralize opposition to the Chico IV dam.[57]
Empowered by martial law to conduct warrantless arrests, the 60th PC Brigade had arrested at least 150 locals by April 1977, accusing them of supposed subversion and of obstructing government projects, and various other offenses such as boycotting the October 1976 constitutional referendum. Individuals arrested included tribalpapangat (leaders/elders), young couples, and in at least one case, a 12-year-old child.[57]: 9 By December 1978, parts of the Chico IV area had been declared "free fire zones", no-man's-land areas where the army could freely fire on any animals or permit-less humans at will.[57]
On April 24, 1980, Marcos-controlled military forces assassinatedMacli-ing Dulag, apangat (leader) of theButbut tribe of Kalinga.[59] The assassination became a watershed moment, marking the first time the mainstream Philippine press could be openly critical against Marcos and the military, and building up a sense of Igorot identity.[60]
After the end of the Marcos administration due to the 1986 People Power Revolution, the succeeding government under PresidentCorazon Aquino secured a ceasefire with the main indigenous armed group in the Cordilleras, theCordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) led byConrado Balweg. The Aquino government made asipat or indigenous treaty, which would be known as theMount Data Peace Accord, with the CPLA on September 13, 1986, ending hostilities.[61]
igorot gold spanish.
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