Claire Prentice’s ‘Lost Tribe of Coney Island’
I don't think the display can really be considered authentic. The traditional ceremonies performed before head hunts and the other tribal dances—those were generally rare in real Igorrote life. Same with the eating of dogs. These things were ceremonial and so definitely didn't occur every day. But Truman wasn't bothered by authenticity. They were t
... See moreLinda Qiu National Geographic Published • Tribal Headhunters on Coney Island? Author Revisits Disturbing American Tale
What happened next was alarmingly reminiscent of Truman Hunt’s tour. According to American newspaper reports, in the winter of 1913 a group of starving Igorrotes was found wandering the streets of Ghent, Belgium. The group’s interpreters, Ellis Tongai and James Amok, wrote to President Woodrow Wilson begging for his assistance. In their letter, the
... See moreSmithsonian Magazine • The Igorrote Tribe Traveled the World for Show And Made These Two Men Rich
But the zoo quickly came to be seen as shameful, and something Americans didn't want to remember, that people were exhibited in this manner, so it was forgotten.
Linda Qiu National Geographic Published • Tribal Headhunters on Coney Island? Author Revisits Disturbing American Tale
Unknown Mexico: A Record of Five Years’ Exploration Among the Tribes of the Western Sierra Madre.