ILONGOT BOOKS & PHOTOGRAPHS

BOOK REVIEWS:

WILLIAM JONES: INDIAN, COWBOY, AMERICAN SCHOLAR, AND ANTHROPOLOGIST IN THE FIELD, by Henry M. Rideout, Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1912; and ALTACO, Oslo, 2003.

The murder of William Jones - a part Native American - by Ilongot tribesmen in 1909, will never be forgotten by 20th Century historians, nor anthropologists around the world. In fact, a documentary about Dr. Jones and his ill fated Ilongot field assignment is expected out in 2004.

As the first professionally trained Native American Anthropologist, Dr. Jones specialised in Native American linguistics and mythology. However, when sponsorship for this field failed to materialise, he opted to accept an assignment by the Field Museum of Natural History in the Philippines. He was to live among the Ilingot tribe, collecting artifacts and documenting their culture. At the time (1908), this was considered a daring adventure, but nobody expected the outcome to be so disastrous.

The fascinating story of Dr. Jones was published three years after his death. Jones' background among Native Americans forms an interesting backdrop for the story, and his numerous comparisons of Native American vs. Ilongot culture are unique. At the time, the understanding of the Ilongots was incomplete, which is also evident from Jones' misinterpretations of Ilongot behaviour. Weather this was what lead to his demise is left up to the readers to speculate about, possibly inspiring further readings on the subject.

In addition to learning about Dr. Jones' life, there are several important references to Ilongot material culture that are in the interest of any collector of tribal art - be it Philippine or other - to read.

PHOTOGRAPHS: