The tribes that live in the Cordilleras of Luzon are known by the generic name of Igorots (Tagalog language: Mountaineer), however, they are many different tribes distributed along the Cordillera and all have their own beliefs.
They're famous in history by being extraordinary warriors and headhunting but in their culture, there is something more valuable and worthy that should be an example for all, their respect for nature.
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In the cave of Shumaging in Sagada, you can read: "These caves are a gift from Kabunyan, they are thousands of years old and man was born yesterday, we have no right to destroy this legacy, only to contemplate and protect it". With this beautiful message, all their thoughts about love and protection for the planet are summarized.
For the Igorot, each spirit goes through an infinite cycle of being born and decease; consequently, when their loved ones leave to continue on their way, they place their bodies in a fetal position. Even so, the impressive thing is their graves. The ancient Igorots make their own coffins before they die with hollow logs or wood. When they die they are taken by their families to a cliff where they hang the coffin next to a chair. Because they believe that in this way the soul of the deceased will always be close to heaven and nature, being able to have a place to sit and enjoy.
The Mountaineers live from hunting, fishing, and farming, mainly from rice planting. They keep them self apart from the cities to continue leading the quiet and peaceful life to which they are used to. Unlike other ethnic communities that resigned themselves to the spaces designated by the government, the Igorot have fought year after year to maintain control of their lands.
Notwithstanding the isolation, they are not a dogmatic ethnic group, they have accepted that the world and societies must evolve, that is, they do not adhere to a single way of thinking. However, they are not influenceable, each tribe speaks their native language, maintains and preserves their ancestral rituals and traditions, takes pride in what they are and takes from the outside world only that which benefits them and allows them to preserve their essence.
From time to time, some residents let themselves be seduced by modernity and visit nearby cities and towns, but they understand that they would not change their reality for ours. It is difficult for the Igorots to understand the "modern men", they believe that nowadays nature is no longer appreciated and there is no respect for it. This undoubtedly invites us to reflect, how has the consumerist and individualist thought of modern society become more "natural" than the philosophy of harmony, respect, and unity of ancient civilizations?
So it is never too easy to leave aside our urbanity and open a space to visit natural environments that reconnect us with nature, fill us with energy and remind us the value of our world, of our humanity.
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