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Isnag people
The Isnag people (also referred to as Isneg, Yapayao and Apayao) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Apayao province in the Philippines' Cordillera Administrative Region, though they are also found in parts of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Abra. Their native language is Isnag, although most Isnag also speak Ilocano.
The Isnag, also referred to as Yapayao, trace their origins to the Province of Apayao, though they are also found in parts of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Abra. Their populations are distributed across the municipalities of Calanasan, Kabugao, Pudtol, Flora, Luna, Santa Marcela, and Conner in Apayao; the eastern part of Ilocos Norte, specifically Adams, Carasi, Dumalneg, Vintar, Marcos, Dingras, Solsona, Bangui and Pagudpud; the northwestern part of Cagayan, particularly Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, and Pamplona; and the northern part of Abra, particularly Tineg.
Isnag is derived from a combination of 'IS,' meaning 'recede,' and 'UNAG,' meaning 'interior.' Thus, it translates to 'people who live inland.' The Isnags are described as having a slender and graceful stature, being kind, hospitable, and generous, with a strong sense of self-reliance and courage.
Various names have been used to differentiate the Isnag. The Spaniards referred to them as los Apayaos (referring to the river along which they live) and los Mandayas (taken from the Isnag term meaning “upstream”). In 1923, they were the last ethnic group to be conquered by the American colonialists. Before, they had no collective name. Instead, they referred to themselves based on their residence or whether they lived: upstream (Imandaya) or downstream (Imallod).
The Isnags are called river people because they historically used riverways to navigate and settle in the mountains. The Imandaya prefer the upper streams "daya" of the Apayao River, Diksonan River, and Kadlay River, while the Imalawa favor the riverways of Vintar-surung, from Malawa (a sitio of Barangay DRAS, Calanasan) to Katoan (now Barangay Tanglagan, Calanasan). The Imallod live along the lower stream "allod" of the Apayao River. The Ingahan inhabit areas along the Nagan River while the Itawit domain is along the Tawit River, between Upper Atu' and Upper Pudtol in Apayao. The Isnags of Conner reside along a major tributary of the Matalag River. The Ehapayao/Iyapayao (Yapayao) prefer the Bulu River, known as 'payaw,' in the eastern part of Ilocos Norte and the northwestern part of Cagayan.
The Isnags are native in Apayao province, which was formerly a sub-province of Mountain Province, but are also found in portions of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. Apayao has an area of 397,720 hectares and is typographically divided into two parts: the Upper Apayao that is mountainous, and the Lower Apayao that is generally flat with rolling mountains and plateaus. Today, there are about 50, 000 Isnags living in Apayao. Isnag populations can also be found in the Eastern part of the Province of Ilocos Norte, specifically the municipalities of Adams, Carasi, Marcos, Dingras, Vintar, Dumalneg and Solsona; and in the Northwestern part of the Province of Cagayan, specifically the municipalities of Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Pamplona and Sanchez Mira. The majority of them live along the Apayao River-Abulog River, Matalag River, and the small rivers on the hillsides of Ilocos Norte and Abra.
Because there was no political or ward system, the kinship groups and family clans became the central social organizations and were usually led by the husbands. Polygamy is allowed, but depends on the capacity of the husband to support the family. Like other ethnic groups, they also follow a lot of taboos. These taboos vary from place to place. A pregnant woman, for example, is discouraged to eat some kinds of sugarcane, banana, and the soft meat of sprouting coconut to have a normal conception. In the past, twins were also believed to be unlucky, so whenever twins were born, they would let the weaker twin die. Also, if the mother dies upon giving birth, the child is also left to die and is usually buried with the mother. The Isnags don’t follow rituals on the adolescence of the child. They, however, have rituals on marriage, like the amoman (or the present-day pamamanhikan), and death, like the mamanwa which is done by the widowers.
Isnag houses (balay) are two-story, one-room structures built on 4 corner posts with an entrance reached by a ladder. The open space below (linong or sidong) includes a small shed (abulor) for jars of basi. The bamboo pigpen(dohom) is nearby. Rice granaries (alang) are also made on four posts that include a circular and flat rat shield. Temporary buildings associated with upland and swidden farming are called sixay. Their bolo (badang) and axe (aliwa) are important tools. They are also expert fishermen.
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Isnag people
The Isnag people (also referred to as Isneg, Yapayao and Apayao) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Apayao province in the Philippines' Cordillera Administrative Region, though they are also found in parts of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Abra. Their native language is Isnag, although most Isnag also speak Ilocano.
The Isnag, also referred to as Yapayao, trace their origins to the Province of Apayao, though they are also found in parts of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Abra. Their populations are distributed across the municipalities of Calanasan, Kabugao, Pudtol, Flora, Luna, Santa Marcela, and Conner in Apayao; the eastern part of Ilocos Norte, specifically Adams, Carasi, Dumalneg, Vintar, Marcos, Dingras, Solsona, Bangui and Pagudpud; the northwestern part of Cagayan, particularly Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, and Pamplona; and the northern part of Abra, particularly Tineg.
Isnag is derived from a combination of 'IS,' meaning 'recede,' and 'UNAG,' meaning 'interior.' Thus, it translates to 'people who live inland.' The Isnags are described as having a slender and graceful stature, being kind, hospitable, and generous, with a strong sense of self-reliance and courage.
Various names have been used to differentiate the Isnag. The Spaniards referred to them as los Apayaos (referring to the river along which they live) and los Mandayas (taken from the Isnag term meaning “upstream”). In 1923, they were the last ethnic group to be conquered by the American colonialists. Before, they had no collective name. Instead, they referred to themselves based on their residence or whether they lived: upstream (Imandaya) or downstream (Imallod).
The Isnags are called river people because they historically used riverways to navigate and settle in the mountains. The Imandaya prefer the upper streams "daya" of the Apayao River, Diksonan River, and Kadlay River, while the Imalawa favor the riverways of Vintar-surung, from Malawa (a sitio of Barangay DRAS, Calanasan) to Katoan (now Barangay Tanglagan, Calanasan). The Imallod live along the lower stream "allod" of the Apayao River. The Ingahan inhabit areas along the Nagan River while the Itawit domain is along the Tawit River, between Upper Atu' and Upper Pudtol in Apayao. The Isnags of Conner reside along a major tributary of the Matalag River. The Ehapayao/Iyapayao (Yapayao) prefer the Bulu River, known as 'payaw,' in the eastern part of Ilocos Norte and the northwestern part of Cagayan.
The Isnags are native in Apayao province, which was formerly a sub-province of Mountain Province, but are also found in portions of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. Apayao has an area of 397,720 hectares and is typographically divided into two parts: the Upper Apayao that is mountainous, and the Lower Apayao that is generally flat with rolling mountains and plateaus. Today, there are about 50, 000 Isnags living in Apayao. Isnag populations can also be found in the Eastern part of the Province of Ilocos Norte, specifically the municipalities of Adams, Carasi, Marcos, Dingras, Vintar, Dumalneg and Solsona; and in the Northwestern part of the Province of Cagayan, specifically the municipalities of Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Pamplona and Sanchez Mira. The majority of them live along the Apayao River-Abulog River, Matalag River, and the small rivers on the hillsides of Ilocos Norte and Abra.
Because there was no political or ward system, the kinship groups and family clans became the central social organizations and were usually led by the husbands. Polygamy is allowed, but depends on the capacity of the husband to support the family. Like other ethnic groups, they also follow a lot of taboos. These taboos vary from place to place. A pregnant woman, for example, is discouraged to eat some kinds of sugarcane, banana, and the soft meat of sprouting coconut to have a normal conception. In the past, twins were also believed to be unlucky, so whenever twins were born, they would let the weaker twin die. Also, if the mother dies upon giving birth, the child is also left to die and is usually buried with the mother. The Isnags don’t follow rituals on the adolescence of the child. They, however, have rituals on marriage, like the amoman (or the present-day pamamanhikan), and death, like the mamanwa which is done by the widowers.
Isnag houses (balay) are two-story, one-room structures built on 4 corner posts with an entrance reached by a ladder. The open space below (linong or sidong) includes a small shed (abulor) for jars of basi. The bamboo pigpen(dohom) is nearby. Rice granaries (alang) are also made on four posts that include a circular and flat rat shield. Temporary buildings associated with upland and swidden farming are called sixay. Their bolo (badang) and axe (aliwa) are important tools. They are also expert fishermen.