One theory states that some tribes in Northern luzon originated from the European Caucus mountains and travelld down into what is now vietnam and southern china. These caucasoid/siberians intermingled with early chinese hence to this day, many igorots and mountain people have a very strong and destictive sinoid look with the characteristics of higher cheek bones, wider face, and a more prominent epicanthic eyefold. In this case, many look fair in complexion and seem to have the classical mongoloid look thats common in nepal, tibet, and inner mongolia. This theory states they migrated to our islands via ocean or landbridge. The ancient clay pot grave yards found in batanes are similar to asian mainland traditions of burying their dead in clay pots. Moving on, aboriginal sinoid designs and even dragon designs have been designed into some of these pots. One characteristic of these igorots that "connect" them with mainland sinoid/mongoloid tribals is their terraced rice farming techniques which originated from early china. For these early ancients to have practiced this farming techniques "can" be proof of their foriegn origin despite their Isolation in the Cordilerras. Their coneshaped architecture can also be compared to sinoid tribals of mainland asia.
Second is their weaving techniques and costumes. When one compares an ifugao womans clothing to that of the Hmar and Lushai tribes of Northern India, one can almost they belong to the same tribe.

If anyone has anymore info on this topic, I would like to learn more

Welcome to this forum!

tsinooy1 , Nice interesting topics to share with us!

But this is just a hypothesis by some scientist. But if you will se the fabrics and dances it had some similarities with India and Taiwan.

Very true, Hypothesis. If I'm not mistaken, igorots, particularly the ifugao, are closely related to the Ami tribe of Taiwan and others tribes. But the Ivatans of batanes are lingusticly related. I think its under the umbrella of Bashiic langs...Mmm. I find it interesting...

Well What i know is that they are closely related with those from Taiwan.

i never heard this theory can u show the sources so i can learn more for myself?

i have heard the theory that rice terrace technolgy stasrt in china then introduced somehow to the philippinesand the natives learned it (Proto-malay) our earilest malayan ancestors..... but then again malay ethnicity origins are southern china as well..... we were a non-han people inhabiting china just like many other non-han asian ethnicity claim southern china as their origins.....

but anyway the malays distribute this knowlege on thier southern migration known as austronesian disphora, the malay seetled indonesian islands an even some who settked on madagascar island near africa began to constrct rice terraces too, so this technolgoy was just one thing the seafaring ancestors brought with them.. i can show u malagasy rice terraces latyter

I dont believe we are han either. But this is just another theory. But I will get the source of this theory. I'll post it as soon As I find it again. I know were malays living on islands called the philippines.

here is a link about madagascar , maybe u will find intereste in it!

http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4462

Theres another theory saying that tinguians are descendants of chinese pirates. Just another hypothesis. You will find it in these hopefully. Not saying that these are true but just presenting these odd hypothesis.

http://www.litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldwo...ugaopeople.html

this site states the Lois of china have marked physical similarities

www.ibiblio.org/chinesehistory/geo.html

remember, I'm not claiming anything, just presenting odd Ideas that have not been promoted...

Look up ALTACO< GREAT IGOROT PHOTOS FROM early 1900s and earlier yata..

according to what i read on history books the cordilliera mountain tribes mixed with the japanese that is why they look so sinoid

The cordilliera mountain tribes ,Pangasinenses and Ilocanos are closely related

I read that too someware. Related to Ainu of japan yata...

lois are aboriginals of hainan island right? i believe they are austronesian peoples... well at least austronesian speakers... before the chinese invade... just like taiwan is originally austronesian related people and then the chinese began to invade in teh 1600s and took over.

Here is the article from that site;

Ifugao
Ifugao originates from the word “I-pugaw,” which loosely translates into “inhabitants of the earth.” They inhabit the northern mountainous region of the present-day Philippine archipelago. The Ifugao were likely inhabitants of the nearby fertile plains that remain such a sharp contrast to their current mountain dwellings. Anthropologists theorize that the Ifugao people were driven by Malaysian immigrants, who had superior leadership and weapons, into the mountains where they currently reside.

As far as appearance, the Ifugao people resemble Asians, but with a darker, more coppery skin tone. The Ifugao were likely of a caucasoid strain that was modified by a passage through the southern portion of Asia where they mingled with the Chinese. Ifugao dress simply due to the temperate climate, but also decorate themselves ornately. The men wear clouts and the women wear loin cloths resembling short skirts that extend from their waist to their knees. The Ifugao men carry spears with them at all times. Both the men and women decorate themselves with various jewelry, such as pieces made of gold, brass, beads, agates, and mother of pearl, among other things.

The Ifugao people exhibit admirable ability in their architectural pursuits. Ifugao houses are small, but they are substantially built, constructed of relatively durable materials that endure through many generations. But as far as architectural achievements go, the houses are nothing compared to the massive complexes of rice patties that extend from half way up the mountain side all the way down to the bottom of the valley. Water is gathered from forests high in the mountains, sent through irrigation channels into the uppermost terraces and allowed to flow back and forth across each terrace until it finally finds the stream bed and flows to the sea. There are two crops each year. Each crop takes from three to four months from planting to harvesting.

Family structure is fairly interesting. The adults and small children live in one house and the teenage children live in a second house. When the teenagers get to the age where they become interested in the opposite sex, the male teenagers leave their house during the day to meet females in other houses, while the females stay at home to welcome other male guests. They initially just have a friendly atmosphere, telling jokes, stories, etc., but soon couples will form. When a girl becomes pregnant, they couple will soon after become married. Then they will either build their own house, or, less likely, inhabit a house left by their parents or someone who died childless. When the couple is settled in their new domicile, it is the mothers duty to care for the child while the father must go out and hunt for food for the family.

This leads to another interesting topic: Ifugao hunting practices. The Ifugao males hunt deer and wild pigs with the help of hunting dogs. The dogs are not raised for food, as in some nearby cultures; the Ifugao people respect dogs and they are treated admirably. They also kill and eat bats and birds.

References:

Impressions of Ifugao Health and Social Activities, by George M. Guthrie; Copyright 1964, Dept. of Psychology, Penn. State

yeah, the lois, not han but you know what i'm talking about

I read cholya was the name for igorots before the colonization period

cholya ? Is that an Indian word?

mmmm, no clue.. but the consonant combinations of soem igorot dialects are cot very common to tagalog. They have lots of "ch" combinations and "sh"...like chung-nen means be quiet i think, but it can be pronounced tung-nen in another town......

igorot culture is native..... aside from rice terrace culture, i dont see a reason to be looking for their origins.

i mean its not like the muslim culture of the islamized malays. where u would look up the kulintang and the keris and discover it is not muslim but its origins are the hindu kingdom era of java and indonesia

or the christian culture of the christianized malays where u would look up the ati-atihan festival origins and discover it is not really christian contrived but a festival to celebrate the meeting between malay seafarer and indigenous negrito....

mmmm..very true, I personally thought it was interesting after reading different theories and hypothesae regarding ythis topic. Some are so odd, but with facts presented by anthropologists, its mind boggling...

Sometimes it is hard to tell which is which?