Traditional Tattoos ad Tooth Blackening
among the Philippine Cordillera
valor: They were applied only after a man had
performed in battle with fitting courage, like
modern military decorations they accumulated
with additional feats. Headhunting was the only
reason or purpose for tattooing. From years of
research, the process of tattooing are known, the
deeper role and function of tattoos are revealed
together with their symbols and meanings in their
proper context and historical symbolisim.
Although it became a lost visage in the following
century, the tattoos are for complex rites of
passage, tribal identity, prestige, power, healing,
protection, beauty and reason.
About the Author - Professor Ikin Salvador has
done extensive research on the batek of
southern Kalinga. She is currently teaching
full-time in the Department of Social Anthropology
and Psychology, University of the Philippines in
Baguio.
