THE 18 TRIBES OF “LUMAD”
Lumad is a Cebuano Bisayan word meaning indigenous which has become the collective name for the 18 ethnolinguistic groups which follow, in alphabetical order: Ata, Bagobo, Banwaon, B’laan, Dibabawon, Higaunon, Kalagan, Mamanwa, Mandaya, Mangguwangan, Manobo, Mansaka, Matigsalug, Subanon, Tagakaolo, Talaandig, T’boli, Tiruray. Representatives from 15 of the 18 tribes agreed to adopt a common name in a Congress in June 1986 which also established Lumad Mindanaw. This is the first time that these tribes have agreed to a common name for themselves, distinct from the Moros and different from the Christian majority. The choice of a Cebuano word (Cebuano is the language of the natives of Cebu in the Visayas) was a bit ironic but it was deemed to be most appropriate considering that the various Lumad tribes do not have any other common language except Cebuano. Lumad Mindanaw’s main objective is to achieve self- determination for their member tribes.
They are recognized as the largest indigenous community in the Philippines and there could be potentially more groups they normally identify themselves according to their geographical locations rather by their ethno-linguistics names. According to the 1993 census, there are 2.1 million lumads out of 6.5 million indigenous people nationally.
| Lumad Tribe | Location in Mindanao |
| Ata | Davao del Norte. The Ancestral Domain covers portions of the Municipalities of Kapalong, San Isidro, Sto. Tomas and Talaingod. |
| Bagobo | Southern Mindanao. Between the upper Pulangi and Davao rivers. |
| Banwaon | Deep forests of Agusan del Sur in Mindanao, particularly in the quaint village of Mahagsay. |
| Bla’an | SOCCSKSARGEN Region. Hills near the Davao gulf in territory abutting that of the Bagobo, and in the Davao and Cotabato watersheds. |
| Dibabawon | Remote Calinogan community of Compostela Valley Province, Mindanao. |
| Higaonon | Northern and eastern part of the province of Bukidnon. Their territory is marked by the Mt. Tago and Kimangkil mountain ranges. |
| Kalagan | Between the coast and the B’laan country in Davao province, and along the tributaries of the Malita, Lais and Talaguton rivers. Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte (including Samal Island), Davao Oriental, and North Cotabato. |
| Mamanwa | Can be found in Agusan Del Norte, Surigao Del Norte, Surigao Del Sur. |
| Mandaya | Mountain ranges of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. |
| Manguwangan | Cordillera Sugut mountains in Mindanao. |
| Manobo | Agusan del Sur and Norte, Davao, and Cotabato. |
| Mansaka | Southern part of the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley. |
| Matigsalug | Live along the side of Salug river that runs from Arakan-Cotabato, Bukidnon and Davao mountain areas. |
| Subanon | Mostly in the northern, western and southern portions of the Zamboanga peninsula. |
| Tagakaolo | Highlands of the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Sarangani. |
| Talaandig | Mostly concentrated in the northern and western part of Bukidnon, territory marked by the Kitanglad and Kalatungan Mountain Ranges. |
| T’boli | South Cotabato province, especially towns of Kiamba, Maitum, Surallah. |
| Tiruray | Living high in an area of the 4,000 foot plateau of southwestern Mindanao bounded by the Tamontaca and Tran rivers and the Celebes Sea to the west, the Tiruray have retained much of their indigenous culture despite their proximity to the dominant Maguindanao, living in the Cotabato Valley to the east. |
References
Rodil, BR. The Minoritization of the Indigenous Communities of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao, Inc. Davao City: 2004
Alamon, A. Wars on Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao. Iligan City, Phillipines: Mindanao Interfaith Institute on Lumad Studies