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Their History
Their History
The Igorot are Austronesians. They were once known for their wars and practice of headhunting. During the colonial occupation of the Philippines, the Spaniards forcibly subdued them, and the process was completed during the period of US hegemony. Ethnologists identify approximately ten major ethnic groups, each with its own dialect and culture. Variations exist within these groups as well. The Igorot can be divided into two groups: those who live in the higher country and cultivate wet rice, mostly in steplike terraces on the mountainsides, and those who live in the lower rainforest areas and grow dry rice in seasonally shifting gardens.
Igorots are an indigenous people who live in the Cordillera region of the northern Philippines. The term "Igorot" is derived from the Tagalog word "golot," which means mountain people.
The Igorots are known for their unique customs and traditions, including their distinctive clothing, intricate woodcarvings, and complex rice terraces. They have a rich oral tradition and have developed a unique system of beliefs and rituals that incorporate animism and ancestor worship.
There are several subgroups within the Igorot people, including the Bontoc, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Kankanaey, among others. Despite their diversity, the Igorots share a strong sense of identity and pride in their cultural heritage.
Igorots' Revolt
The Igorot Struggle For Independence
Igorot Village, Early 1800
The Igorots were never slaves to the Spaniards, nor did they play the role of slaves. On the contrary, Spanish records show that they fought for their independence with every means available for three centuries, and that their resistance to invasion was deliberate, self-conscious, and continuous. It was largely successful, as evidenced by the fact that at the end of the Spanish Regime, when the Cordillera Central had been divided into a dozen military districts, the last Spanish census listed one-third of the estimated mountain population as completely independent.
Foreign visitors to the Philippines noticed this Igorot independence throughout the Spanish regime. It was mentioned by an Italian traveller in 1696, a Frenchman in 1766, an American in 1842, a German in 1878, and an Englishman in 1896. It was also a source of great embarrassment for the Spaniards.
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