Igorrote Village
| Construction Cost | $200,387.18 (equivalent to $6,043,529 in 2021) |
|---|
The Igorote Village in the Philippine Exhibit included three tribes; The Bontoc, The Suyoc and The Tinguanes.
Before the Fair
The Bontoc
The Bontocs were the head-hunters. Tattooing was considered an art and the tribe were dog eaters.
Dog Eating
While the Bontocs did consume canine meat, it was typically held for special religious occasion, and not a common occurrence, and many stories of 'dog-eating', and missing pets from the time may have been heavily embellished.
The city of St. Louis provided the Igorots with the agreed amount of 20 dogs a week. Because the supply of canines did not meet demand, the tribe encouraged local people to bring them dogs which they bought. The poaching of dogs became so common in the area near the Igorot Village that the neighborhood was warned to watch their own dogs. Many pups vanished.
St. Louis Women's Humane Society, protested the treatment to man's best friend, but many people sympathized the Igorot's need for dog meat.
One Missourian donated 200 fat dogs to the Igorots.
The Suyocs
The Suyocs were the miners and show their method of extracting the metal from the ore, especially copper. They refused to wear clothing, so Fair signs warned visitors that they might see nudity in the Suyoc area. They had their own rice paddies and sweet potato patch.
The Tinguanes
The Tinguanes were the agriculturists.
