Before the Spanish formally launched its conquest of Davao in 1848, the region was governed by tribal leaders called Datus. These Datus were the equivalent of village headmen. They were renowned to be the wisest and the bravest among the people. Aside from leading the defense of his people against foes and raiders, the Datu also dispenses the tribe’s customary laws. Also unlike Muslim tribes in Lanao, Maguindanao and Sulu where a Datu is subject to the rule of the Sultan, Bagobo and Lumad tribal leaders overtly proclaim their independence over any one-man rule. Even if they paid homage to the Sultanate of Mindanao, they fiercely valued their territorial and personal independence. After all, they are many and possess a land and culture of their own.
Chieftains generally wear a blood-red colored head kerchief that proclaim his valor in the battlefield.
The advent of American military occupation of Davao in the early 1900’s also paved the way for anthropological research and rediscovery of flourishing Mindanao cultures by the West. Such was the case of Datu Tongkaling who was the ruler of Sibulan, Davao during the American period. Sibulan is supposedly the center of the Tagabawa community in Davao del Sur, as it was also recognized by many Bagobos in the neighboring territories. Accordingly, Tongkaling traced his ancestry through ten (10) generations of Datu Chieftains. Above is an image of Datu Tongkaling, photo courtesy of Faye-Cooper Cole who was in Davao during the 40’s
Dabawenyong Lumad 