The people classed under this name are the least known of any of the
wild inhabitants of Mindanao. They probably receive their name from the
word _atas_ which signifies "those up above" or "the dwellers in the
uplands." It does not appear that they form a single tribe, or that they
are even of uniform type.
The writer did no intensive work with them, and the following notes make
no pretense of being first-hand knowledge. I have drawn on all possible
sources for this scanty information, but am mostly indebted to the
letters and reports of the late Governor Bolton, who, without doubt,
knew more of this people than any other white man.
I am thus compelled to make my descriptions vague; indeed, my one excuse
for dealing with the Ata is to bring together such information as we
possess in the hope that it may be of value to some other worker who may
later take up the task of studying this little known people.
According to Governor Bolton, the Ata inhabit the regions west and
northwest of Mt. Apo, the headwaters of the Davao river--north and west
of the Guianga--as well as the headwaters of the Lasan, Tuganay, and
Libagawan rivers. In all these regions they extend over the watershed,
converging toward the center of the island at the headwaters of the
Pulangi river.
It should be noted at the outset that the Eto or Ata, living between the
Guianga and Bagobo, should not be included in this division.
In the region about Mt. Apo they are closely allied to the Obo and
Tigdapaya,[95] while in the region adjoining the Guianga they have
intermarried with that people and have adopted many of their customs as
well as dress. On the headwaters of the Lasan river we are told that
they are known as Dugbatang or Dugbatung; that they are a timid
degenerate branch having no fixed habitations and very little clothing;
they are small, with crispy hair, and often decorate their bodies with
tattooed designs. About twenty miles up the Tuganay river Governor
Bolton encountered a similar group of Ata whom he describes as being
very wild. From the headwaters of this river he crossed over near to the
source of the river Libagawan where he discovered a hitherto unknown
people--the Tugauanum. These he believed were mixed Malay and Negrito,
with crispy or curly hair and sharp features.
[95] See p. 128.
While in the central part of Mindanao, on the headwaters of the Pulangi
river, the writer saw about fifty people known as Tugauanum who came
over the mountains to trade. They were certainly of mixed ancestry,
showing a distinct infusion of Negrito blood, and in other respects
conforming to the description of Governor Bolton. Among articles of
barter carried by them were the typical knives and hemp cloth of the
west side of the Davao gulf region, showing that they are at least in
the line of trade with the tribes we have already studied.
According to their own stories, the original home of the tribe was along
the river Mapula which flows into the Tuganay near its source. Governor
Bolton tells of hearing, while in this section, of a people called
Dedaanum "who were small and black and had curly hair," but who had all
been killed by the Tugauanum. He was also informed that a numerous tribe
of very small black people called Tugniah lived on the headwaters of the
river Omiern, which flows north of the Libagawan. They were said to live
in trees, to plant nothing, and to subsist on sago flour. "Their bolos
are like sabers and they use lances, bows, and arrows."
The Governor classes the Tugauanum as Ata "since they speak the same
language" but he adds "they are probably the same race as the
Libabaoan." This latter people are elsewhere in his notes referred to as
Guibabauon or Dibabaoan. They live along the headwaters of the Tagum
river and are, he believes, a mixture of Ata and Mandaya.[96]
[96] The writer believes that the Libabaoan are probably the same as the
Divavaoan who are classed as a branch of the Mandaya. See p. 165.
From one source we learn that the Ata are small, in many respects
resembling the Negrito; that they are timid and are either nomads or
build their houses high in the branches of trees. Another writer tells
us that they are a superior type, with aquiline noses, thick beards, and
are tall. "They are very brave and hold their own with the Moro." We are
also told that they cultivate the soil and build good houses.
The estimates concerning their numbers are equally conflicting. Governor
Bolton gives the population as six thousand; the report of the
Philippine Commission for 1900 credits them with eight thousand, while
Father Gisbert believed that they aggregated "not less than twenty
thousand souls."
The divergent reports are due to the fact that up to the year 1886 only
one village of this people had been visited,[97] and since that time
only a few hasty trips have been made into their territory.
[97] BLAIR and ROBERTSON, Vol. XLIII, pp. 242-3.
From our present information it seems probable that the Ata are
descendants of an early invading people who intermarried first with the
early Negrito inhabitants, and later with other tribes with which they
came in contact. They have been free borrowers from their neighbors in
all respects, and hence we find them occupying all the steps from the
nomad condition of the pygmy blacks to the highly specialized life of
the Guianga.
The following account of their beliefs was extracted from letters
written by Governor Bolton. He fails to designate the section from which
the information was gathered, but its similarity to Bagobo and Guianga
makes it probable that the account comes from the Ata dwelling near
those people. Considerable variation will doubtless be found in other
districts.
"The greatest of all the spirits is Manama[98] who made the first men
from blades of grass, weaving them together until they resembled a human
form. In this manner he made eight persons--male and female--who later
became the ancestors of the Ata and all the neighboring tribes. Long
after this the water covered the whole earth and all the Ata were
drowned except two men and a woman. The waters carried them far away and
they would have perished had not a large eagle come to their aid. This
bird offered to carry them to their homes on its back. One man refused,
but the other two accepted its help and returned to Mapula.
[98] See page 106.
"The other deities are Mandarangan, Malalayug, god of agriculture;
Mabalian, the spirit who presides over childbirth; Tarasyub and
Taratuan, the guardian spirits of the brass and iron workers;
Boypandi--the spirit who guards over the weavers."
While in the Ata country the Governor observed certain customs of the
people. As his party approached the palisaded house of Madundun they
stopped for twenty minutes to perform a ceremony called _anting-anting_.
"An old man waved his shield and a cloth, meanwhile repeating mysterious
words. Then each man was given a chew of betel-nut and was well rubbed
with a charm." "At Tuli a swarm of bees passed over the house just as
the party was ready to start. This was taken as a sign that some of the
party would be killed by the arrows of the enemy, hence they refused to
go." "Likewise, if the dove _limokan_ calls on the left side of the
trail the party will refuse to proceed, unless another _limokan_ answers
the call from the right side of the path."