I grown up in a
community of this what they called Head Hunters” This tribe usually found at
Quirino province, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora. They are “Ilongots” as they called.
According to the elders, during the time that they had not yet experiencing
discrimination, they live abundantly. Bounty of fishes on the river, root crops,
native animals in the forest. When it comes to rivers and forest, they have
their own territories (by clans). No one
of them invade others' area. They don’t put any wall of fences to identify each territories, they knew where
are their boundaries naturally. They have their own means of determining their
own area, which they agreed. They respects each areas, never trying to grab to
add to their own.
In their way to
their “kaingin” or upland farm or what they call “uma”, the women have to bring
everything by themselves, and men a bolo or “sundang” on their waist. Why women have to bring all the
stuff and let men to just carry that sharp bolo. May be some of those who can
witness that practice will react that men of the tribe are very disrespectful
to their ladies. No, in that way , they can protect their ladies if enemies
attacks. During that time, they consider strangers on their area an enemy. They
did not let anyone to just enter on their territory without their permission.
Strangers were so afraid during that time, because they know they will not go
out alive anymore if they try to enter without the tribes permission. If they
have to bring what their ladies had, they cannot response immediately to the
enemies attack because they have to put down first their things. While in fact
, if they have only the bolo alone, they can easily bring it out and response
to the needs of their ladies.
Head
hunting was done before by the Ilongot tribes in two reason. They felt honored
if they had cut head of their enemies or strangers who did not ask permission
from them entering to their territory. The second one, according to elders, if
a man want to marry their lady, that man need to head hunt. The guy can never
go near to the lady until he can offer a head of enemies. If the man had
fulfill the condition, that will be the time the parents of the girl allow a
man to court their girl. The man need to court her over years before the
parents permit them to live as husband and wife.
In Quirino Province, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora, the sign when
the tribe Ilongot become aggressive in head hunting is during the flowering of
what they called “Sablang”. It is a tree flowering red. So if a courting man
have to show his intention to court the lady Ilongot, this is the proper time
for him to start. Head hunting that time is not just to protect their territory
but as a sign of love.
But
time had passed, these head hunters became soul hunters. They become Christians,
peace –loving, from a brave head hunters. Most of elders, if someone will ask
them, they don’t want to go back on head hunting again. They have now to hunt
souls. They are now preaching the Gospel, The Word of Salvation. But if they
will be discriminated again, and their territories will put on danger, they
will bring back that old tradition they tried to keep as part of their history.
They are the nature’s keeper of their ancestral domain, but if the someone or
group will violate their rights…they are prepared to fight for it, even head
hunting will be back on this generation.
