The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-05-05

gering the head and by pressing the
long barrel with the bare arm. The
sounds produced by these instruments
are supplemented by striking d bit OF
steel upon Il stone. When a dance IS
in progress q man with the steel n
stone and two gansa players march
about with the dancers, while the
drum players, usually two in number,
squat close by.
A number Of schools have been es-
tablished for these people. Girls are
taught to weave good cloth. Young
men have been educated sufficiently to
serve successfully as secretaries n
treasurers 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 1t.
The people Of this tribe have pros
pered under American rule n today
live in 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, ~head-hunting tribe number
ing approximately 10000. They are
almost limited to the very mountain
Gus region constituting the subprOv-
ince Of Bontoc, but a very few are to
be found in the s~ubprovince OF KAHN
ga. 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 hill
ippine tribe except the kalingas.
While on the average they are more
muscular han the latter people, they
are at the same time more heavily, not
to say clumsily, built. Both men and
women were uncleanly, but there is "a
noticeable improvement in this regard.
The dress Of the men is usually a
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 q knot behind, where 1t Is
confined by a jaunty, nor or less
highly ornamented, rattan zap. Many
OF them make huge holes la 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 ornaments sim
liar to those Of hi 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 to work In the
water In rice fields, both men and
women discarded their garments with
u any apparent hesitation, although
women who had occasion to work long
In the fields usually, but by no means
always, extemporized skirts of leaves.
The typical house Of the Bontoc
Igorrote has q grass roof which over
hangs, but does not meet, low board
sides. There is a storerOom In the
roof. The ground space is divided
between a sleeping-box at the end OPP
posite the entrance, a stall In which
food Is prepared, another stall In
which 1t is cooked, and a 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 han on in
accessibility.
The BontOc Igorrotes were Once In
y~eterate he~ad-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 each dancer
throughout the performance.
The Bontoc IgorrOtes, like the Ifu-
gaos and the Benguet IgOrrotes, are
spirit worshipers. Their religious prac-
tees consist chiefly In efforts to pro:
pitiate the antics, or spirits Of the
dead, who are believed to have power
for good and evil.
They are homogeneous, but have a
curious system Of trial marriage. When
they marry they usually continue to
live together TO a ripe old age. ID.
vo,ce is, however, permitted under
certain circumstances