The Tibouli tribe of Mindanao

The Tibouli tribe live on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. They are a peaceful people and are indigenous to the area. They pay great attention to their dreams and live an idyllic life close to nature but they are slowly being encroached upon by big business. Their houses stand on the sides of Lake Sebu high in the hills of Mindanao. They are hunters, farmers, and fishermen and they try to be peaceful. To the Tiboli people, sleep has special significance - dreams guide their lives. They are protected by the mountains, and dreams help them live their lives.

The Tiboli are an indigenous tribe of the Philippines. The women make string, rope and twist them for their weaving. Dreams guide their hands. The design of the patterns are made by a woman separated from the tribe so the dreams inspired designs are pure and uncontaminated by others. The weaving designs are then shown to the weavers, some of whom chew beetle nut. The hagalong is an instrument native to the tiboli that looks like a guitar or a dulcimer. Lotus flowers are precious to the tiboli tribe of mindanao in the Philippines. The lotus represents the lake's gods to them.

Tribal elders maintain the peace and resolve disputes. There is little crime because they are pacifists and they try to resolve disputes so that everyone is satisfied. They can see signs in their dreams. They use buffalo to plow their rice fields. They do not sell their land. The young people have been leaving the village and have different dreams. The say - "Our land and our dreams are our strength". They have lived in isolation for a long time and many tiboli have sold land to developers. Life is at a critical point for the tiboli people of mindanao, the Philippines.

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