Batak Tribe

History
The Batak are indigenous peoples who are said to be th
e filipino ancestors. The name Batak is said to be "Cuyun
on" term for Mountain People. Batak are one of around
70 different indigenous people of the philippines and th
eir natural homeland is in Puerto Princesa Palawan. Bata
k believe to have originated from the first wave of huma
n who crossed the land bridges connecting the philippin
e island with mainland Asia, up to 50,000 years ago, tod
ay there are on around 300 batak remaining. Since 1900
, Filipinos and other began to migrate to the traditional r
egions where the batak lived. This led to the resources a
nd land of the bataks to dwindle. In the 1930s the gove
rnment attempted to stablish reservation for the batak i
n the costal plains but these soon were settled overran
by the filino migrants in the 1950s, this caused the bata
k to move inland interior of the island.
Way of Living
-For generations, they have succesafully combines hunti
ng, fishing and gathering of forest products with shifting
agriculture.
-Rice, roots crops and vegetables are grown, and at the p
eak of the dry season in march the gardens are burned t
o the ground.
-After the batak have cultivate a field, they leave it fallo
w for several years, new gardens are planted in april whe
n the rain arrives.
-An antimate knowledge of rice allows them to recognis
e and name at least 70 different varieties. Women fish w
ith a hook and line whilst the whole community works to
gether to catch fish by stunning them with a plant based
poison.
Culture
-Their belief system is that Animism which is belief in spirits t
hat reside in nature. They classify spirits into the "Panya'en"
who are Malevolent, and the "Diwata" are generally Benevole
nt but are also capricious. Batak make regular offeeings to the
se spirit, and Shamans (babaylan) undergo spiritual possessio
n in order to communicate with the spirits and heal the sick.
-Today very few Batak marry but tend to marry from other nei
ghboring groups. The pattern has been that the children of th
ese marriages tend to follow batak cultural ways, and today p
ure batak are rare.
-They are also not reproducing to sustain their population, as
a result batak are being absored into a more diffuse group of
upland indigenous people who are slowly losing their tribal in
dentities and with it their unique spiritually and culture.
Batak Marriage System
-The anncient traditional marriage system of batak still
exist up to now. Before person can be married, the boy
with his father or elder relatives will attend a "Surigide
n" for consultation of the prospective marriage partner
with his elder and family of the groom. Upon Consensu
s of the elders that marriage should be consecrated. Th
e boy accmpanied by a Ginoo or tribal leader will make
arrangement with the brides parents. The brides parent
s will ask a certain amount from the groom called "Ban
di" as guarantee. The groom also will provide the elders
who witnessed in the Surigiden a certain amount as gra
titude and thanks to their presence. Then drinking of ri
ce wine "Tabad" will follow to celebrate and facilitate g
ood luck for the good future of the newly wed.
Batak Religion
-Batak have a strong belief that the world is inhabited by
many supernatural and natural and entities.
-The batak people believe in a unique array of deities and
other figures, namely:
• Maguimba -Baybayen
• Diwata -Batungbayanin
• Angoro -Paglimusan
• Baybay -Balungbunganin
• Ungaw. -Salingbunganin
• Siabuanan -Esa
• Bankakah
• paraen
• Buengelen
Ritual conducted by the Batak's
-Lambay is the batak honey festival marking the onset of seas
onal honey gathering, usually done in the month of march. Th
e purpose is to make bee colonies to produce plenty of honey.
This ritual is traditionally done by their Bayla. Also Lambay cer
emony to ask for rain if there is long dry-season and ask for su
nlight if there is long rainy season. And this ceremony they wil
l offer live chicken for the spirits.
-Sangkat is a retual performed by the baylan for the kaingero,
prior to field cleaning, to give respect to the goddess spirit wit
hin the forest. Bataks believe that big trees are homes of fores
t spirits in this process they will talk to the said spirits to ask p
ermission to clear the area. If within three days and night they
could not dream of any signs of disagreements, then cleaning
will be done, if there is, they will not pursue the cleaning.
Problems
-Thier dwindling numbers have been a result of high i
nfant, mortality, exposure to disease such as ( tuberc
ulosis, chicken pox, malaria) and low birth rates.