Meet the Negritos
By “Awake!” correspondent in the Philippines
THAT is just what a group of us did recently. We met the Negritos, who live in the mountains behind the huge American military base at Angeles, north of Manila.
Who are they? A friendly people, found in the Philippines mainly around the island of Luzon. A pygmy race, their average height is under five feet (1.5 m), and their skin color is dark. Their features are negroid; hence, the name “Negrito” (“little Negro”).
Nobody knows where the Negritos came from or when they arrived in the Philippines. Today there are about 25,000 of them. Some live a very simple life in the forests and mountains, while others are being gradually assimilated into the life patterns of their lowland neighbors.
Their Way of Life
The group we visited has settled down to a more or less permanent way of life. They live in small huts made of grass and bamboo and anything they have been able to salvage from their neighbors. Interestingly, we saw huts with no more than three feet by four feet (0.9 x 1.2 m) of floor space! The clothing is Western in style.
In other parts of the country, Negritos live less complicated lives. Described as “extremely mobile,” they dwell in family groups numbering perhaps between 10 and 50, and constantly move around the mountains and forests in search of game, wild fruit and vegetables. At night, they erect a lean-to in which to sleep, but they will never stay in one place for more than a few days or weeks. Their clothing is simple: a loin cloth for the men and a short, wraparound skirt for the women, both often made of bark.
Living in the forest, the Negritos’ natural senses are well-developed. John Garvan, an Irish-born scholar who lived with them for several years, reported that they could perceive the scent of fruit from quite a distance. They even claimed to be able to tell when a person was getting sick by his changing body odor, and said that they could smell what kind of meat an individual had been eating! Their hearing, too, is acute. Also, the Negritos have a well-developed sense of direction, and seem to know instinctively when game is around.
Great skill with the bow and arrow is characteristic of the Negritos. A museum authority remarked that they must have the most highly developed arrow system in the world. The Ayta tribe of Zambales has something like 50 different types of arrows—one for wild pig and deer, one for bats, one for fish, and so forth.
Negritos still living in the forests have unusual ideas about personal appearance and adornment. Some will make scars all over their bodies “for beauty’s sake.” Others wear bangles on the arms and ankles, while still others stain their teeth black and chip them to a point, “to enhance their looks.”
When we entered a Negrito settlement near the Filipino village of Sapangbato, we received a very friendly welcome. Small black faces grinned at us from the huts as we made our way to the village captain. He and the Methodist pastor—himself a Negrito—were very happy to spend time discussing the important message that we had brought from the Bible.
A Friendly People
We, like others, were impressed by the friendliness of these small people. True, the early chronicles speak of them as a warlike race. There are stories of different tribes fighting among themselves for territory, and of the victors drinking out of the skulls of their vanquished enemies! Other accounts tell of the early days when the Negritos of Laguna ran a kind of “protection racket.” Reportedly, these Negritos would appear at a certain time and demand tribute from the lowland Tagalogs. If it was not forthcoming, they would carry off a number of heads.
Modern researchers, however, insist that the disposition of the Negrito is quite gentle. It is said that these people never lie to one another. Also, there is real affection between marriage mates. They love their children and show respect for the aged. And the closest thing they have to a government in the forest is the advice and guidance of the eldest in a group.
Some individuals have claimed that the Negritos are slow learners. But the fact is that they have the sharpest memory and the keenest concern for matters having to do with the forest or hunting. On the other hand, material possessions are of very little interest to the Negritos. As long as they have food for the day, they do not trouble themselves about tomorrow. Happily, for many generations the forest has been a bountiful provider.
Religion Among the Negritos
We were interested in the religious background of our new acquaintances. They told us they were Methodists. Previously, however, they had been Catholics. Some remembered a day when they did not belong to any sect of Christendom. Negrito worship at that time was a little vague in their memories, but they did recall that they would do a ritual dance if someone got sick. If the harvest was exceptionally good, they would slaughter a pig, cut off its head, and dance around it, shouting “Grunt, pig! Grunt, pig!” Then, they claimed, the dead pig’s head would grunt! Well, did they worship the dead pig’s head? No. They did not think so, because afterward they would eat it!
The Negritos still dwelling in the forest have vague religious beliefs that vary from settlement to settlement. Some of these Negritos appear to believe in a supreme God, and they have myths to explain natural things that they do not understand. For example, some of them told John Garvan that the sun is a man, the moon is his wife and the stars are their children. The moon, however, fears that the warmth of the sun will harm her small children; so she and the stars are constantly running away from the advances of her shiny husband. Garvan tried to explain that the sun and the moon are not people. “What are they then?” he was asked. “Celestial spheres,” he answered. At this seemingly absurd idea, the whole group burst out laughing.
We were very happy to discuss with these people what the Bible says about the “Supreme Spirit” and what he has promised for mankind. One thing that impressed them was that God has a name, Jehovah. (Ps. 83:18) Those who recently had lost loved ones in death were comforted to know that Jehovah God will bring the dead back to life. (John 5:28, 29) We were happy to tell them about God’s promised new order, in which sickness and death will be no more and there will always be enough food for each day.—Isa. 25:6, 8; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:4.
Like so many other tribal minorities, the Negritos and their way of life are disappearing under the pressure of modern civilization. The territory of those still wandering in the forests is dwindling. But we very much enjoyed talking to this friendly and relaxed tribe of small people. Having met the Negritos, we anticipate visiting them again.