Ganduyan Museum: Head-hunting and More

--- Herb---

I highly recommend to everyone a visit to the museum should you wish to learn more about the people and the place. We owe it to the people of Sagada to learn more about their history and culture and not just enjoy their town. The Ganduyan museum is run by an elderly lady, a multi-talented cancer survivor. You would learn more from her than any tour guide who seem to be clueless on Igorot history. She’d move from one part of the room discussing the displays, and while this went on, you are supposed to remain quiet. Ask questions later.

The first group obviously were uninterested, by the time she was done, they spent no time rounding money and leaving without asking any questions. But not us. We bombarded her with question after question after question, and she loved educating us on subjects like the Igorot caste system, headhunting expeditions, their judiciary system and more. Her smile tells it all first group obviously were uninterested, by the time she was done, they spent no time rounding money and leaving without asking any questions. But not us. We bombarded her with question after question after question, and she loved educating us on subjects like the Igorot caste system, headhunting expeditions, their judiciary system and more. Her smile tells it all. 

Did you know that the Igorots  strictly forbade adultery? Even before the Ten Commandments reached them, they already deemed adultery immoral. Ironically, beheading rival tribes for the sake of celebrating a good harvest made me take two steps back, well, like they say, you can’t have them all. Imagine a headhunter coming home for the day greeting his wife, “Hello Honey, I severed two heads today. What’s for dinner?”

Another point that caught my attention was how the Spanish were beaten flat out, beheaded, and their heads hung at  Igorots' houses like ornaments. We all know the story of Lapu-Lapu but little of the Igorot people who seem to have  been forgotten in Philippine history. They should be given more credit, and not seen as a picture of ignorance. During my high school days, several of my classmates would use the word “Igorot” as a derogatory term, meaning you were ignorant or something. But after my trip to Sagada, I can’t help but laugh at how city people could be so wrong about the Igorot. Sure the Igorots  at that time couldn’t read nor write, but they were very systematic. Take the rice terraces for an example, Igorot engineering at its best.

--- Ally ---

Ganduyan  is the former name of Sagada. Thus, the  Ganduyan museum. Many travelers miss on the less known attractions of the place due to exhaustion from spelunking. But  this is a must if you really want to come home saying you know more of a place and a culture. While museums can be overwhelming to many and boring to some, Ganduyan is neither. In less than an hour, within the confines of a room no bigger than 50sqm i think, you'd be leaving with a heightened respect for the Igorots.

The oral curator of the museum is an elderly Igorot lady with good command of the English language. I am reminded of a teacher for whom i have great regard for being so knowledgeable and articulate. In a soft but clear audible voice, you are soothed by stories of how the Igorots lived and live. Being a cancer survivor, she does seem a bit slowed down walking within the room but that only gives you more reason to be quiet and attentive. As she puts much effort to educate you, your best response is to have all eyes and ears set on her.  A graceful lady probably in her 60s, she at one point requested Herb a favor of handing an Igorot's bag she was to explain to us. In a soft tone, " Son, would you be kind enough  to hand me that bag behind you?" I don't know but the way she had said it stuck with me. I could sense the grace of a mother right before us and it kept me hungry for more of her stories. On a side note, if I live up to her age and Herb were still my buddy and I had to ask him a similar favor, it would go " Hey Herb, could you pretty please hand me the f***ing thing? " Graceful, isn't it?

So back to the museum. Igorot artifact collection at its finest. There's just a lot to be learned but I do remember  one of the few things that impressed me was why most Igorot  household stuffs are black in color while  beads and textiles are  happily woven in rainbow mode. It's soot. Igorots have small houses that when they start cooking the traditional way, soot covers most of their things including their faces. And that is normal life.

It is unfortunate that photo taking of individual items in the museum was not allowed. I would've wanted a photo of the headhunter's basket. Better yet, bring that thing home and start a hobby on ex-boyfriends. It was something like a backpack adorned with gee, don't know if they are feathers or what but they sure give the basket a fierce tribal look. Ms Aben ( I was later to find out the name of the curator ) says it is one of those pieces that is a direct legacy of her own Igorot family of the Kankana-ey group ( Igorot btw is a collective term to describe six ethno-linguistic groups namely Apayao(Isneg),Bontoc,Ibaloi,Ifugao, Kalinga and Kankana-ey ).  And I can sense the pride of belonging to a lineage that you don't fool around with. Yup, that's right, no monkeying allowed. Get that, Herb!

*Igorot warrior with battle axe and wooden shield
photo credit:
Igorot Warrior Headhunters of the Philippine Cordilleras

Like a wide eyed girl waiting to unwrap her Barbie doll, I was excited by stories of headhunting. My love for humanity shows. The Igorots are known to be skilled warriors when offended but basically peace loving. Headhunting then was  a rite of passage to manhood with the offended party demanding for retribution. If no peaceful agreement is reached, battle axes and wooden shields go off in  a frenzy. 

Another learning that awed me was why the shields had those arches on them. If you look at the logo of the Philippine National Police, you' d notice an inverted Igorot shield. The shield has a solo big arch at the bottom and a couple of smaller one at the top.  When an enemy is put down, that single arch at the bottom is used to trap the neck and off goes the head swiftly axed. As to why the PNP has it inverted, I have no clue. 

I really don't feel like repeating what we learned from Ms Aben's stories-ala-lecture here. Best for people to pay her a visit at the Ganduyan museum. I simply want to share with everyone the thought that while it may not be hair raising like spelunking, museum visits specially small group and intimate ones like this is enriching. It makes your Sagada trip complete and don't you think it's about time we stop calling people "Igorots" when we mean to reduce them to either physically unattractive or some kind of idiot in a "bahag". At the Ganduyan museum, you will realize that this is soooo wrong, very wrong. The Igorots deserve no insult. They fought for their culture, their way of life, their freedom from foreign domination that none of us may have come close to doing. Who's the idiot now?