The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1922-04-28

gering the head and by pressing the
long barrel with the bare arm. The
sounds produced by these instruments
are supplemented by striking "A bit of
steel upon a stone. When a dance is
i'm progress a man with the steel and
stone and two gansa players march
about with the dancers. while the
drum players. usually two I'm number.
squat close by.
\ number of schools have been es-
tablished for these people. Girls are
taught 10 weave good cloth. Young
men have been educated sufficiently TO
serve successfully as secretaries and
t%reaSurers Of their towns.
The daily wage has risen steadily
since the American occupation and
opportunity to work can practically al
ways be had by those who wish for il.
The people Of this tribe have pros
pered under American rule and today
live i'm better houses, are better fed,
wear better clothes and enjoy better
health than ever before.
The Head-Hunting Tribe.
The Bontoc IgOrrOtes are a strong,
warlike, headNhunting tribe number
ing approximately 5000. They are
almost limited to the very mountain
Gus region constituting the subprOv-
ince of BontOc, but n very few are TO
be found in. the subprovlnce of KAHN
"a. For the most part their territory
is separated from that of neighboring
tribes by mountain barriers.
They are STRAIGHTFORWARD people,
probably of Malayan origin. Both men
and women are splendidly developed
and are considered by many observers
physically superior TO any other Phil
ippine tribe except the Kalingas.
While on the average they are more
muscular than the latter people, they
are at the same time more heavily. not
to say clumsily, built. Both mel and
women were uncleanly, but there is a
noticeable Improvement in this regard.
The dress of the men is usually Il
clout, although this is sometimes re-
placed by a mere apron. Blankets are
comparatively rare. The men have long
hair, banged across the forehead and
rolled into Il knot behind. where ii is
confined by a jaunty, more or less
highly ornamented, rattan cap. Many
of them make huge holes in the lObes
Of their ears. into which they thrust
wooden plugs. bamboo rings and vari-
Gus other objects which they consider
ornamental. Occasional individuals
wear huge metal pendants in their
ears.
The women use ear ornament sim
liar To those of the men, and in addi-
ton. wear in their hair and about their
necks more or less elaborate strings
of beads, boar tusks. dog teeth. and
ornamental seeds.
When there was occasion to swim
or ford streams or 10 work in the
water in rice fields. both men and
women discarded their garments with
out any apparent hesitation. although
women who had occasion TO work lcng
in the fields usually. but by no means
always, extemporized skirts Of leaves.
The typical house of the Bontoc
lEO III a ass lVVl Aitth WI
hangs. but does not meet. low board
sides. There Is a storeroOm i'm the
roof. The ground space is divided
between n sleeping-box at the end OPP
poSite the entrance. a stall in which
food is prepared. another stall In
which il is cooked, and Il larger space
utilized as may be convenient.
The houses are grouped in large
villages. which are often readily ac-
cessible. The people OF this tribe de-
pended ON large numbers of fighting
men for protection rather than on in
accessibility.
The Bontoc Igorrotes were once in
yeterate head-hunters. and were for
merly constantly at war not only with
neighboring tribes. but among them
selves. Fortunately, hcad-hunting has
now ceased throughout their territory.
They are very fond of music and
dancing, in which they indulge on all
possible occasions. The only inStru-
ments used are gansas. one Of which
is carried and played by Zach dancer
throughout the performance.
The Bontoc lgorrotes. like the lfu-
gaos n the Benguet Igorrotes. are
spirit worshipers. Their religious prac-
tees consist chiefly in efforts 10 pro-
pltiate the antics, or spirits of the
dead. who are believed 10 have power
for good and evil.
They are homogeneous. but have a
curious system OF trial marriage. When
they marry they usually continue 10
live together to a ripe old age. Di-
yorce is. however. permitted under
certain circumstances.