Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-23
RELICS OF NEGR|TO
RACE ARRIVE HERE
Shy Forest DWeIIerS of Luzon
Described by Rev. Van Over
bergh, Missionary.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

One Of the earth's most primitive
people lives under the American flag.
An almost complete collection rep
resenting the culture Of these people
NegrltoS OF Northern Luzon, in the
Phlnppnes-has just been received at
the headquarters Of the Catholic An
thropological Conference at the Catho-
lie University from Rev. Morice van
OVerbergh, a Belgian missionary, who
Is one Of the first white men to have
MADE any intimate contacts with them.
Inc Negritos, as Father Van Overbergh
describes them, remain one of those
shy, largely unorganized, forest dwell
ing peoples, who are believed to repre-
sent the state of human culture at a
very early level. Some dwell at the
edges OF the forest and have made
contacts with Malay traders and more
advanced native tribes. A few still re-
main denizens Of the deep forest, rarely
coming even to the edges. The culture
OF the "edge-of-the-f forest" people has
borrowed a great deal, such as some
forms OF clothing and weapons. from
the Malay neighbors, with whom they
are on friendly terms. But during years
as practically the only white man with
N many miles the Belgian priest was
able to separate what had been Dor
rowed from the original. The borrow
1ngs, he found, were rather deposits
on top Of the primitive culture than
substitutions.
Sample Of the Culture.
The whole fills only a small case, but,
according to Rev. DR.. John M. Cooper,
professor of anthropology at the Cath
Ole University, it probably is a fair
sample of all the culture to be found
in the lives of this people. These
people, as described by DR.. Van Over
bergh, are one of the few remnants in
the world Of the food gatherers," living
on their environment with hardly any
effort to change it, without organized
government or much social structure.
Other peoples at approximately the
same level are the pygmies of Africa,
the Veddahs Of Ceylon and the "Punan,"
the original wild men Of Borneo" The
one great difference between the Ne
CRITICS and the others Is the practice
Of living in rude houses, usually one
family to a house. Father Van Over.
bergh found one exceptional case where
there were four families in one dwell
ing: The houses are scattered over a
wide area, with never more than four
together.
Generally speaking, he found them
people of excellent morals and excep-
tionally peaceful condition usually re-
ported by ethnolcgistS among the other
peoples at the same level and leading
TO the opinion that morality decreases
In many ways with the advance OF civ
llization.
They never keep two wives at a
time" he writes, although this prac-
tice is INDUCED in very often by the
tribes. Married people
very rarely separate. Two vices gener-
ally recognized as being common to
many uncivilized people are lying and
stealing. 1t would seem almost against
the nature OF a negrito to tell a lie. and
the one reason for this perhaps is his
inability to conceal his own
thoughts. Whatever he knows he
makes public. Stealing, II 1t occurs at
Ill, Is very rare.
The fact that we left our BELONGINGS
'or several days where every passing
1egrtto could have taken from them
what ne liked Is sufficient proof of their
honesty. Only once have I heard the
mputation OF a negrito having stolen |
something and this was In the way of
eatables, which might readily excuse
hungry men as everybody has right to |
i've. Anyway, stealing is certainly abb
lorred by them.
VI C@SCAW Nu1TdcLers
Those I saw are Of a very peaceful |
haracter. There is no question of war |
are between the different negrito |
'roups. They usually know one another |
ND even when unknown they are al |
ways very friendly. They seem to con-
ider the whole negrito race as a big !
amlly, any representative of it being |
Welcome to their homes at all times |
Vhen l asked MaSigun If thew would |
IlIoW negritos from farther away to |
lunt in their forests he candidlv an |
wered me in the affirmative. He sim
'ly laughed when 1 asked him II his |
'eople would not shoot arrows at them /
we md the Negritos living in happy !
Intercourse with everybody else, but
ntlrely isolated from Isneg Malay |
md Christian alike by a deep social
uE. A Negrito is always happy. He
aughs more than he weeps. He is
devoted to his friends and he has no
nemies. He Is very polite and he Is
lospitable to remarkable degree.
TO the Negrito life seems to be a
cry joyous affair, and he does not
eem to have any preoccupation at all.
70 him each day has its cares and, If
lie cannot find today what he is in
iced OF, he expects to find it some
ther time. not seeming to care a fig
or d1Sappointments of any kind"
The missionary was able to find a
ew love songs among this primitive
eople which seem to Show no outside
influence. He found their religious
IDEAS quite difficult to penetrate, but
oncluded that these, so far as they
ave been developed, are monotheistic.
1,:,, was able to and very few fears or