The concept of indigenous people emerged with the Spanish colonization of the Philippines from 1521 to 1899. Although 85 percent of the population was eventually Christianized during nearly four centuries under Spain, the rest chose to distance themselves from the State. Thus, an estimated 15 million indigenous people today scattered throughout the Philippines retain their distinctive cultural identities. This presentation highlights the process of “indigenization,” and post-Spain approaches to “cultural minorities,” including during the American colonization (1900 – 1946) and from 1946, the independent Philippines. Severe attacks on indigenous peoples over the years have more recently been offset by positive and inclusive policies on the part of the Philippine government. This reversal in orientation that now recognizes indigenous people’s rights has come from strong pressures by progressive civil society groups, anthropologists, Catholic Church social action adherents, reformist government and most significantly, from indigenous people themselves organizing to make their voices heard. Indigenous peoples’ claim-making pressured legislators to pass in 1997 the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). More recently, indigenous people in geographic areas covered by the forthcoming Bangsamoro Transition Authority are participating in current Congressional debates on their rights under the Bangsamoro Basic Law. While the latter focuses on reconciling Islamic groups marginalized since the Spanish era, the rights of non-Islamic indigenous groups living within those boundaries are asserted. Organized indigenous people give a strong impetus to their claims to power, resource control, identity and dignity in the new autonomous region and beyond to Philippine society as a whole.

(*)El autor o autora no ha asociado ningún archivo a este artículo