The
Batak are one of about 70 indigenous peoples of the Philippines. They
are located in the northeastern portions of Palawan, a relatively large
island in the southwest of the archipelago. There are only about 500
Batak remaining. Also called Tinitianes, the Batak are considered by
anthropologists to be closely related to the Ayta of Central Luzon,
another Negrito tribe. They tend to be small in stature, with dark skin
and short curly or "kinky" hair, traits which originally garnered the
"Negrito" groups their name. Still, there is some debate as to whether
the Batak are related to the other Negrito groups of the Philippines or
actually to other, physically similar groups in Indonesia or as far
away as the Andaman islands.
Batak
have for centuries combined a hunting-gathering lifestyle with seeding
of useful food plants, kaingin, a slash and burn farming method, and
trading. It is believed that they may have had trading relations with
Chinese merchants as early as 500 AD.
During
the mid to late-20th century the Batak were easily pushed out of their
preferred gathering grounds by the sea into the mountains by emigrant
farmers, mostly from Luzon. Living in less fertile areas, they have
attempted to supplement their income by harvesting and selling various
nontimber forest products, such as rattan, tree resins, and honey. This
has been met with resistance by the government and commercial
collectors, who assert that the Batak have no legal right to these
resources. Conservationists, however, have taken an interest in the
Batak's collection methods, which are much more sustainable than the
techniques used by commercial concessionaires.
The
Batak were once a nomadic people, but have since, at the behest of the
government, settled in small villages. Still, they often go on
gathering trips into the forest for a few days at a time, an activity
which has both economic and spiritual value for them. Their belief
system is that of animism, which is belief in spirits that reside in
nature. Some, called "Panyeon", are generally suspicious of humans but
are tolerant of them, as long as people don't abuse or waste the
resources of the forest. Other spirits, called "Diwata" are generally
benevolent. All are capricious. Batak make regular offerings to these
spirits, and Shamans undergo spiritual possession in order to
communicate with the spirits and heal the sick.
Rapid
depopulation, restricted forest access, sedentary living, and incursion
by immigrants has devastated the group culturally. Today, very few
Batak marry other Batak but tend to marry from other neighboring
groups. The pattern has been than the children of these marriages tend
to not follow Batak cultural ways, and today "pure" Batak are rare. As
a result Batak are being absorbed into a more diffuse group of upland
indigenous peoples who are slowing losing their tribal identities, and
with it their unique spirituality and culture; there is even some
debate as to whether or not they still exist as a distinct ethnic
entity. |
