Апаяо халықтары: тарихы, тілі мен мәдениеті

The Isnag people (also referred to as Isneg and Apayao) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Apayao province in the Philippines' Cordillera Administrative Region. Their native language is Isneg (also called Isnag), although most Isnag also speak Ilocano. Three major sub groups among the ISNAG are known: the YMANDAYA mostly concentrated in the municipality of Calanasan in the Province of Apayao and the municipality of Carasi in the Province of Ilocos Norte; the IMALLOD, with populations distributed among the other towns of the province of Apayao and the IAPAYAO/EAPAYAO, with populations distributed among the towns of Adams , Dumalneg in the province of Ilocos Norte and Sta. Praxedez in the Province of Cagayan.

Various names have been used to differentiate the Isnag. The Spaniards referred to them as los Apayaos (referring to the river along which they live) and los Mandayas (taken from the Isnag term meaning “upstream”). In 1923, they were the last ethnic group to be conquered by the American colonialists. Before, they had no collective name. Instead, they referred to themselves based on their residence or whether they lived: upstream (Imandaya) or downstream (Imallod). At present, they are commonly known as Isnegs, which came from an Ilocano word itneg that means Inhabitants of the Tineg River. Some of them, however, still call themselves as Apayaos. Isnag populations can also be found in the Eastern part of the Province of Ilocos Norte, specifically the municipalities of Adams, Carasi, Dumalneg and Solsona; and in the Northwestern part of the Province of Cagayan, specifically the municipalities of Sta. Praxedes, Claveria and Sanchez Mira. The majority of them live along the Apayao River Abulog River, Matalag River, and the small rivers on the hillsides of Ilocos Norte and Abra.

Isneg language is spoken by around 30,000 people mostly by the Isnag people, who are also bilingual in Ilokano.

Approximately 9% of the population are Christians. In 2006, the entire New Testament, along with the books of Genesis and Exodus, had been translated into Isnag by SIL. The complete Bible was completed in 2023. Rest of the Isnags are mainly animists.

The Isnegs are aesthetically inclined. In ceremonies, women wear a lot of colourful ornaments and clothing, and men wear G strings (usually of blue color), abag, and bado (upper garment). Men don’t wear pendants but they wear an ornament called sipattal, made of shells and beads, used only on special occasions. They also practice tattooing which is done by rubbing soot on the wounds caused by the needles. Items are placed inside the coffin in order to help the deceased person throughout his/her journey. For example, a jar (basi) is placed in the coffin to quench the deceased one's thirst. Another example is a spear and shield also being put inside in order to help him/her protect himself/herself from enemies during the journey. The coffin is then lowered into either the kitchen area of their families home or in a burial site owned by his/her family.

The Isnag are distinguished from the other Cordillerans by the fine construction of their houses, resembling that of the lowland Filipinos, and they are particularly conspicuous about cleanliness. Their houses are set on four large and strong straight posts of incorruptible wood resistant to humidity, driven into the earth; instead of being made of bamboo cut in long narrow strips joined by rattan, as the lowland Filipinos do. Their houses are airy and bigger, and they do everything to decorate it the best way they can. They barter for products from their mountains, such as beeswax, cacao, and tobacco. Jean Mallat, a French adventurer in the Philippines during the 1800s.