History: The Colonization
 400 years of Spaniard and American Colonization has perpetually erased indigenous identities.Â
Source: Andrea Smith’s Reading Native American Women
In Smith’s article, she defined colonization as the eradication of Indian identity and humanity through European imperialism and violence.
In the same fashion, the Spaniards brutalized the culture and identity of the Indios (the Austronesian migration of communities in the Philippines), this is how the Filipino came to be. It was Spanish rule that introduced the idea of gendered terms to Filipinos, but before that, they labeled themselves the Indios Bravos.
In addition to that, Indios Bravos people transcended binaries. It was evident in their spiritual practices. (Luis. H Francia, babaylans) BABAYLANS were intermediaries between the physical world and the soul world. They held a high position in barrios or communities and were trusted in the same regard as your neighborhood pastor – priests in the Philippines were historically female. Before the patriarch invaded the Philippines Islands, matriarchs ran the show and were accepting of the differences within the many ethnic groups that inhabited the islands.
Bonus Content
Pigafetta was a Portuguese historicist that chronicled the Magellan expedition. It follows suit that Indios Bravos' history was unfortunately told through the lens of its colonizers. Pigafetta and a Cebuano individual are portrayed in the picture above.Â
