The Agta People, a Photographic Depiction of the Casiguran Agta People of Northern Aurora Province, Luzon Island, the Philippines Paperback – October 19, 2010

In anthropology, as in my own field of evolutionary biology, raw data--carefully documented observations, in whatever forms they take--are fundamental to future conceptual advances, one day playing roles we might not even as yet imagine. And there's a powerful sublime aesthetic to looking over those images, knowing they represent real people and lineages of families, lives at particular times and places. Anyone who's done field science will appreciate the tremendous dedication and effort that went into the Headlands' fine compendium, as well as enjoy meeting the Agta on its pages.

Tom and Janet Headland have spent a lifetime with the Agta People in the Philippines. This book is an amazing detailed pictorial documentary of the families they lived with. Most of the families had never before seen pictures of them selves or their family members. Each family was given a book that had been translated into the Agta language. Anyone wanting to learn more about the Agta or do a research project such as this would love to have this book as a guide.

This book exemplifies what all anthropology should do. It both adds to the body of knowledge in the field of anthropology and it serves the local community. This photographic genealogy allowed the Agta to give evidence to the Philippine government in order to earn recognition as legal indigenous people. The book description above is accurate when it says, "This book contains 1,054 photographs of Agtas, taken by the Headlands from 1962 to 2010. Each photo has a caption which includes the name of the individual, names of their parents and spouses, their birth and death dates, the percentage of Agta ancestry, and the year the photo was taken." In addition the book also contains several photographs from 1936 and one from 1872. This book also models ethical scholarship by including the consent letter written by the Agta leaders and the signatures of 152 Agta adults who signed that letter.

The place to begin in this book is on page 213. There the Agta elders explain why they want their pictures published. Much of their rationale swirls around their trust and love for "Grandpa and Grandma Headland." Ultimately, what this book documents is a relationship built up over decades between an indigenous group in the Philippines and the scientist/missionaries who devoted their lives to living alongside the Agta and helping them in whatever way they could. As such it is the kind of interaction between indigenous cultures and westerners that represents the best dreams we have for ourselves and for others in a world in which so many of these interactions turn into nightmares.

The book is little disappointing.Nothing is written about their heritage its just a yearbook of some sort.This would be good for the PNP records,...a little disappointment here.