‘The trails to get there’: Experiences of attaining higher education for Igorot Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines

Author: Digna Adonis & Jen Couch

Australian Catholic University

Edition: Volume 57, Number 2, July 2017

Summary: The title of this paper alludes to the hours of walking on mountain paths, which one of the authors, growing up in an Igorot Indigenous community in post-colonial Philippines undertook to go to school. This is an apt symbol of the sheer effort it can take to overcome physical, social, cultural and psychological barriers to access, persevere with and complete, higher education. This article explores the hardships of attaining higher education and the effects of education on the Igorot community. The article shares the experiences of Igorot leaders and how they have used their higher education learning to work for the promotion of maintenance of their Igorot culture.

Keywords: barriers to education, Indigenous learning, westernized higher education

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 57_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.