Lecture Notes: The Aeta Tribe and Migration to Asia

Introduction

• Common perceptions of Asia:
  • Great Wall of China, Tokyo, Chinese food, sushi, Bruce Lee.
• Alternative perspective:
  • First inhabitants of Asia, tens of thousands of years ago, were people of African descent.
• Focus on the Aeta tribe in the Philippines as an example.

The Aeta Tribe

• One of the Negrito tribes in the Philippines.
• Negrito translates to "little Negro" or "little black person."
• Origin: Migrated from Africa between 20,000 to 70,000 years ago.

Journey to the Aeta Tribe

• Travel from Manila to Subic.
• Hired taxi driver to act as cameraman.
• No prior contact with Aeta tribe.

Experience in the Aeta Village

• Location: Off the beaten path in Subic.
• Arrival: Warm welcome from the tribe.
• Description of stay:
  • Experience likened to a family reunion.
  • Familiar characters: aunties, grandmother, cousins, and a funny uncle.

Community Structure

• Over 25 different Negrito tribes in the Philippines with a population of over 15,000.
• Aeta village:
  • Over 300 families and 1,000 people.
  • Community governance with a chief and seven elders for checks and balances.

Diet and Traditions

• Typical diet includes:
  • Wild boar, deer, yams, mushrooms, bananas, rice, dried fish, honey.
• Traditional dances and ancestral practices.
• Unique burial tradition:
  • Use of tree trunks carved like boats for burial.

Historical Context

• Lack of recorded history beyond mid-1900s.
• Notable training by the U.S. military on jungle-survival during the Vietnam War.

Conclusion

• Invitation to follow more journeys through Africa and Diaspora.
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