History, they say, is always written from the perspective of the dominant class. It is not as objective an account as we were led to believe when, as elementary schoolchildren, we were made to memorize the details of the lives of Jose Rizal and the other notable ilustrados. History is about as impartial as the editorials we eagerly devour today, the ones that extol and chastise the exploits and the foibles of government, but with a distinct advantage: by virtue of its form, it takes on an aura of authority. And this authority is one ordinary schoolchildren and adults alike are hardly likely to challenge.

Seemingly maligned by both history and popular media are the people of the Kalinga. Even in the earliest Spanish Chronicles, they were depicted as so hostile that Dominican missionaries were forced to abandon their plans to build Christian missions in the area. Their more recent battle against the Marcos administration’s plans to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Chico River only added to their notoriety. The very name they have taken on was a label tagged on to them by the neighboring Ibanag and Gaddang. It meant “enemy” – a throwback, no doubt, to the days when head taking was a common and noble practice, intended not only to demonstrate bravery but, more importantly, to safeguard lives and property.