The Art of Tattooing in Kalinga

Part of my bucket list is to see all the other rice terraces in the Cordilleras. This feat or dream will require some time and preparing for (physically) since a lot of the villages can only be reached through make shift hanging bridges and trekking through the worn mountain paths made by our ancestors, the Ifugaos. One of my reasons for wanting to go there, especially in the province of Kalinga, is to see the remaining tattooed women and the last living tattoo artist of that tribe. Tattoos differ from one culture to another, and what they mean. For the Kalinga tribe, tattoos were worn by warriors who have slain and taken the heads of their enemies. I'm sure our Western friends here will find it barbaric, but this is our culture and heritage and the tribes who fought wars on each other did so in order to protect their lands. I hope that when I do have the time to trek way up north, I will still be able to see these elderly women adorned with the thousand year old custom of tattoos. I am enclosing a link that will detail the beauty and history of our native tattooing in the Cordilleras. I also hope and pray for the younger generation of Filipinos to show more interest in our culture. I feel sad when I see our youth with no knowledge or interest in our history.