Action Research on the Life of Isnag Tribe of Apayao

A STUDY OF THE INDIGENOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES IN THE LIFE OF THE ISNAG TRIBE OF APAYAO

I. INTRODUCTION:

RA 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Right Act (IPRA) was enacted on October 29, 1997. IPRA is a comprehensive law that includes not only the rights of Indigenous Peoples (IP) over their ancestral domain but to their rights to social justice and human rights, self-governance and empowerment, and cultural integrity. This is in response to the integrity of their culture, traditions and institutions attached to the land. It is in response to their belief and practice that land is their worship area (religion), their institution of learning (education), their area of governance (politics and government) their livelihood and market place (economy), their medical center (health), shelter (defense and security), identity (personality and character), and their history.

The Isnags are among the original natives of Apayao who came in vintas (boats) from Malaysia. These natives were composed of three clans and settled in different places. These three clans were joined by a Chinese pirate who settled in Dingras, Ilocos Norte. The pirate taught the settlers the value of China wares like jars, bowls, and beads. Likewise, he bestowed to the settlers the concept of barter. The Isnag settlers started to barter their agricultural products with china wares (tariaw). In search for valuable china wares, they started to journey to other villages or nearby provinces. Some experience being shoed off in other villages but the passion to acquire the valuables made them surmount the insurmountable. This had given the Isnag settlers the concept of entering into peace agreement. The china wares turned out to be precious for dowries given toa supposed bride’s parents as token to bind a forged palnah.

II. BACKGROUND:

Venoversergh (1952-42) accounted for the first recorded glimpse of the Isnags when Fr. Jose Martin crossed the Apayao border and made mention of the...