{"id":20133,"date":"2023-10-07T09:29:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T19:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/?p=20133"},"modified":"2023-10-07T09:29:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T19:29:23","slug":"book-review-governor-of-the-cordillera-john-c-early-among-the-philippine-highlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/2023\/10\/07\/book-review-governor-of-the-cordillera-john-c-early-among-the-philippine-highlands\/","title":{"rendered":"BOOK REVIEW: GOVERNOR OF THE CORDILLERA, JOHN C. EARLY\u2014Among the Philippine Highlands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Rose Cruz Churma<\/em>

The United States took control of the Philippines following the Spanish-American War of 1898. The first American Governor-General of the Philippines was William Howard Taft who uttered the infamous phrase describing the Filipinos as America\u2019s “little brown brothers\u201d and set the tone for subsequent Filipino-American encounters. Thus, this is an appropriate book review to usher in October\u2019s Filipino American month.

The indigenous highlanders living in the Cordilleras, called Igorots, were fiercely independent and had minimal interaction with the Spanish colonizers. To some extent, the Cordillera region\u2019s detachment from the lowland Philippines continued during the American colonial period.

One of the influential American officials during the first two decades of American rule was Dean Conant Worcester who \u201cdespised Filipino lowland officials,\u201d and kept Igorots from being \u201ccontaminated by Filipino Christians.\u201d

He used a system of intimidation and bullying to implement his method of governance, until he appointed an obscure teacher, John C. Early, to serve as lieutenant governor to one of the Cordillera\u2019s sub-provinces.

This book not only chronicles John C. Early\u2019s life but also \u201cunveils hidden truths about Igorot-American interactions.\u201d As a teacher, Early volunteered to teach at the most dangerous region of the Cordilleras which led to his appointment as lieutenant governor in 1909. He used his influence to mitigate the igorots’ abuses from their American colonizers, and for this, he was fired in 1911.

For the next decade, he taught in obscurity in the Philippines until the appointment of Governor Leonard Wood\u2013when the Igorots were given a voice in their governance.

The igorots requested that John C. Early return as governor for the Cordillera. But the Philippine Senate delayed Early\u2019s appointment, and it would be in 1927, at the death of Leonard Wood (who had a negative rapport with the Philippine Senate) when Early was confirmed.

Compared to previous administrators of the colony, Governor-General Henry L. Stimson (who replaced Leonard Wood) cared for the highlanders, just like John Early and probably explained the deep friendship between the two.

Early’s appointment was viewed as a vindication from his previous firing, but unfortunately, he passed away in January 1932, and was buried two days after his death at the Baguio Municipal Cemetery.

Almost a century after Early\u2019s death, he is almost forgotten in the Philippines and the United States. His grave in Baguio can\u2019t be found. Archival documents show his protection of the\u00a0cargadorers<\/em>, Igorot property rights, human rights and his care for the environment. It is not surprising that the Igorots gave him their trust and affection.

Ironically, Baguio\u2019s main roadways are named after a governor-general \u201cwho reportedly loathed Igorots” (Harrison Road); a governor \u201cwho regularly referred to Igorots as savages\u201d (Governor Pack Road); and a governor-general “who refused to meet alone with Filipino officials because of his deep-seated racism\u201d (Leonard Wood Road). However, John C. Early\u2019s name is not found at all in the entire Cordillera area\u2014the only one who believed in the equality of all races and people, no matter the color of one\u2019s skin.\u00a0Instead, he was persecuted for his beliefs.

In today\u2019s social climate, this book is very timely\u2014a biography and colonial history combined, but reads like a well-researched story where good triumphs!\u00a0It describes Filipino-American encounters during the colonial period that are vaguely known or studied.

One interesting chapter was on how the headhunting practices of the Kalinga sub-province were eliminated (by brutalizing the local population) or the descriptions of how the Igorots were enticed to be exhibited at several fairs, not only in the US continent but in Europe\u2014both practices that Early tried to stop.

In the preface, the author notes\u2014\u201cI spent my first eighteen years in the City of Baguio, learning the English language at home but speaking Ilocano with my closest friends and learning the national language of Tagalog in school. My deepest friendships were with people of the mountains\u2014theirs was my culture and they shaped my\u00a0ugali<\/em>\u00a0(character).\u201d

The son of American missionaries to the Cordillera, the author’s love and affection for the region\u2014its people, culture and history is palpable in the book\u2019s pages.

As Associate Dean of the Honors College and Professor of East\/Southeast Asian History at Boise State University, Shelton Woods has half a dozen books to his name, in addition to scores or academic articles he has authored, but notes that this book is \u201cwhat I have longed for people to read.\u201d

This book is not only about John C. Early, whose life of service was a bright light during America\u2019s colonial period, a life that all Americans should be proud of, but also of the greatness and dignity of the people of the Cordillera, that Filipinos (hyphenated or not), should know and appreciate.

For Philippine history enthusiasts or scholars of America\u2019s colonial past\u2014this is a must-read.

Get the latest stories from Hawaii Filipino Chronicle straight to your inbox! Subscribe to <\/em>our FREE newsletter here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>

ROSE CRUZ CHURMA\u00a0<\/strong>established\u00a0Kalamansi Books & Things\u00a0three decades ago. It has\u00a0evolved from a mail-order bookstore into an online advocacy with the intent of helping global Pinoys discover their heritage by promoting books of value from the\u00a0Philippines\u00a0and those\u00a0written by Filipinos in the Diaspora. We can be reached at\u00a0<\/em>kalamansibooks@gmail.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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