Of Igorots and Independence: Two Essays by William Henry Scott (Book)

William Henry Scott was an American historian who dedicated a huge chunk of his time researching and writing about the Igorots. The scholarly papers and books he wrote about Igorot culture and history are invaluable resources that continue to shape the direction of Igorot/Cordillera research to this day.

This book contains two essays by Scott. These are:
1. The Defense of Igorot Independence
2. The Origin of the Word Igorot

The essays are accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations by Alex Aguilar. The book also contains a biographical note on the author by Erlyn Ruth E. Alcantara.

This particular book is most likely out-of-print given that it was published in 1993. But thanks to the internet, you can easily find these two essays online. Google is your friend. Just search for the titles of the individual essays. Scott passed away in 1993. His remains now rests in a tranquil cemetery in Sagada, Mountain Province.

The book cover for Of Igorots and Independence: Two Essays by William Henry Scott.

Igorot Girl in Tublay

"Igorot girl of Tublay." That's the original caption that accompanied this photo taken between 1898 and 1912. Unfortunately, aside from the caption, we don't know very much about this young lady in the picture.

However, we can gather clues from how the photo was taken, where it was taken, and other photos similar to it. It's pretty obvious that the subject was posing for a portrait. Her full getup, her stance, and the chair used as a prop are cues of a planned portrait session.

This is just one of several photos taken at the same location with other Igorot subjects. Most of these photos were portraits. Here's what's interesting - some of these subjects have been identified. They included Juan Carino, his brother, and his sister.

Juan Carino is the older brother of Mateo Carino, the Ibaloi leader who owned a good portion of the land that is now Baguio City. That said, it's possible that this "Igorot girl of Tublay" belonged to the Carino clan.

Image source: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

Instructions on How to Wear a Bahag (Wanes)

An illustration on how to wear a loincloth (bahag, wanes). This is an illustration from a book published in 1929 titled Dress and Adornment in the Mountain Province of Luzon, Philippine Islands.

The book was written by Morice Vanoverbergh, a Belgian Catholic Missionary who worked in the Philippines for decades starting in the 1900s.

After being assigned at a mission in Bauko, Mountain Province in 1909, Vanoverbergh studied, researched, and recorded Igorot culture, traditions, and languages. He wrote several books containing his studies.

This infographic/poster was part of a textile exhibition at the Museo Kordilyera last year.