Getting to know Maura, the 18-year-old Igorot sent to take part in the 1904 World's Fair

In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was launched.

In addition to exhibiting newly discovered technology and modern transportation, it also featured an amusement park and rides.

But according to a recent episode of "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," what served as its main attraction was a park that exhibited not items or animals, but real people.

Called the Forest Park, an estimated 10,000 natives from different parts of the world were displayed as attractions for the so-called "World's Largest Human Zoo."

Among those featured in the exhibit were Filipinos in a setup called Igorrote Village, a place for "head-hunters" and "dog-eaters."

The Igorots were considered primitive, as the fair aimed to showcase America's progress in civilization and technology.

"Pinapakita mo 'yung mga yaman na nakuha mo mula sa iba't ibang bansa na sinakop upang ipakita na ito 'yung kapangyarihan mo at ipamalas ito sa mundo," historian Xiao Chua said. "Gusto niyang ipakita na isa siyang mabuting colonial power."

["They wanted to demonstrate their wealth, display their power and showcase it to the world. They wanted to present themselves as a benevolent colonial power."]

The story of Maura

Earlier this month, The Washington Post published a story that explored the lives of the Filipinos who were sent to take part in the fair.

In the article, it was said that some of the natives who were featured in the human zoo were not only used to make money.

Their brains were also used for a study in the Smithsonian Institution's Racial Brain Collection.

One of the brains allegedly taken to the museum belonged to an 18-year-old Igorot named Maura.

There is no clear documentation of her identity or residence in Benguet. However, it's possible that Maura was one of the 25 natives from the Kakanaey tribe encouraged to come to America from Suyoc, a town in Mankayan.

Among the individuals displayed, 70 came from Bontoc Province, and 25 were from a community in Suyoc, and others from Abra, Negritos, Moros from Mindanao, and people from the Visayas.

Jessica Soho  traveled all the way to Suyoc to talk to one of the families of those who were taken to the fair.

Buli-e, the man who was able to return to the Philippines

A 62-year-old man named Leonardo gave them more information about his grandfather, Buli-e, who was one of the 14 men from Suyoc who went to America for the expo.

Leonardo provided a photo of his grandfather from the museum.

Also displayed on their wall are other photos of their fellow tribesmen who were with them during the World's Fair in America.

"Itong mga pictures dito sa wall ay pictures lang ng ilan sa mga participants na pumunta sa 1904 World Fair," Delia, one of Buli-e's descendants, said. "Nakuha ng aming relative na si Tony Buangan sa museum."

["The pictures on the wall are those who were part of the 1904 World Fair. Our relative Tony Buangan was able to get them from a museum."]

Among those they identified from the photo was a six-year-old boy named Singwa.

They also said that Buli-e was able to return home, but wasn't sure about the rest.

Leonardo shared that their family doesn't know the reasons behind their relatives' journey to America.

"Sa kuwento ng kapatid ko, sinabi niya na dinala daw si Lolo namin sa US at saka pumunta doon at pinakita 'yung culture, custom and tradition doon ng Kankanaey," he said.

["My sibling shared that our grandfather was brought to the US, where our culture, customs, and traditions were shown."]

The descendants expressed their dismay when they found out that their relatives were used as human displays.

"Nung nalaman ko, siyempre nasaktan at tumaas 'yung dugo na ginamit lang pala 'yung mga relatives namin para ma-exploit sa own personal interest nila," Martha, one of Buli-e's descendants, said.

["When I found out, I was hurt. I got angry–because our relatives were exploited for someone else's personal gain."]

Delia added, "Nalulungkot lang ako na ganun ang naging trato sa kanila, na hindi tama ang kanilang nadanas doon."

["It saddens me that they were treated that way."]

Who invited the Igorots to the fair?

During the exhibit, officials forced the Igorots to eat dogs several times a week for the audience, even though they rarely did so in the Philippines.

This created a stereotype of Filipinos, even up to the present day.

Officials and newspapers called the Igorots "savages."

"'Pag may aksidente, parang offering na to cleanse 'yung masamang dinaaran. Na-deprive sila doon sa kanilang custom and tradition kasi 'yung gusto ng World Fair, 'yan ang natupad. Pero 'yung kaugalian ng mga tribes na nanggaling sa Pilipinas, hindi nila nirespeto," Leonardo said.

["They didn't respect the customs or traditions we had here in the Philippines. They didn't know that these only happened on very specific occasions, like when someone got into an accident."]

So who invited the Igorots to the fair?

From what their descendants could recall, it was one Charles Pettit.

Charles Pettit was an American soldier who married a woman from Suyoc, Dang-usan, who is Buli-e's sister.

The death of Maura

According to studies, not all natives who traveled to America were able to reach the country alive. Some got pneumonia and died while they were on the way to their destination.

And Maura is said to be one of them.

In a report by the newspaper St. Louis Republic, it said that Maura wanted her remains to be buried in the Philippines. She requested this a few days before the exposition began.

But according to some books, Maura was not brought home to the Philippines.

Leonardo and his family had no information about Maura.

"Hindi namin alam kung sino siya at kung sino ang relatives," Martha said.

["We have no idea who she is or who she's related to."]

There were speculations that Maura was the woman who married Charles, which also meant that Maura was the sister of Leonardo's grandfather, Buli-e.

But Leonardo clarified, "Nung second edition pala na na-edit nang 2004, iba. Si Maura, iba. Si Oning, siya ang Onib, Dang-usan. Si Maura, isa lang sa out of 25 from Suyoc who goes to the 1904 World's Fair."

["They were different people. Maura was different from Onib. They edited that edition in 2004."]

Filipinos helping fellow Filipinos

In hopes of finding the real identity of Maura and bringing to life the stories of other indigenous people, writer and journalist Candy Quimpo-Gourlay started researching the World's Fair in 2005 and wrote a book about it.

"May nakita kaming picture ng isang Igorot na kasayaw ay isang Edwardian na babae na Amerikana. So intrigued ako, ni-research ko. Ang unang libro na sinulat ko ay it's called 'Bone Talk.' It's a joke kasi bone talk was how the Americans pronounced Bontoc. They are the center of my story,  they're not just primitive. There's a reason why they believe what they believe," Candy shared.

["We saw a picture of an Igorot dancing with an American woman, which intrigued me so I started to research it. The first book I wrote was titled Bone Talk."]

A group of journalists also started an investigative report about Maura's story, including Regine Cabato.

Regine is one of the 14 Filipino reporters from The Washington Post.

"Nag-start ito sa tip muna na nakuha ni Claire, isang reporter namin sa Washington Post sa DC," Regine said.

["It started when one of our reporters got a tip."]

Claire managed to correspond with activist Janna Añonuevo Langholz, who researched the graves ng mga Pinoys who went to the 1904 World's Fair.

"Tine-trace niya 'yung lineage at nagsimula dun ang story kung ano 'yung naganap sa ilang mga Filipinos dun sa fair at kasama na dun si Maura," Regine said. "Hinahanap kumbaga ni Janna kung ano 'yung nangyari sa kanya, ano ang nangyari sa katawan niya, saan siya nalibing. At mula doon, parang na-trace siya na napunta 'yung ilang mga labi sa Smithsonian."

["We tried to trace their lineage and that's how the search for Maura started. Janna tried to find out what happened to Maura, where she was buried. Then it was traced back to the US National Museum of the Smithsonian Institution."]

Maura's brain

The US National Museum of the Smithsonian Institution houses a collection of brain specimens from more than 255 indigenous people around the world.

This is part of the Racial Brain Collection, an experiment by Smithsonian Physical Anthropology Chair Ales Hrdlicka.

The study aimed to understand if natives' mental capacities are inferior or lower than those of whites, such as Americans.

Twenty-three of the specimens were brains or parts of the brains of Filipinos, and one of these was believed to be a part of Maura's brain.

In July 1904, Hrdlicka autopsied two Filipino bodies.

Based on the Smithsonian document, it is said that he took the cerebellum of an Igorot from Suyoc, which is now believed to have belonged to Maura.

"'Yung nakakalungkot doon, pinag-aralan 'yung brain at saka 'yung dapat sana hindi magawa. May pahintulot sana sa relatives kung pahihintulutan. Pero na-deprive lahat 'yung pumunta doon sa liberty nila. Dapat sana nirespeto rin 'yung mga tribes na pumunta doon na nanggaling lahat dito sa Pilipinas," Leonardo said.

["What's sad is that people were deprived of their liberty. They should've respected the tribes people who were brought to the US."]

Over a century later, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History expressed its intention to return some preserved brains, including the one believed to be Maura's, to the Philippines.

The KMJS team reached out to both the Smithsonian and the National Museum of the Philippines for interviews, but both institutions declined to comment at this time.

Nevertheless, Leonardo welcomes this development, saying, "Maganda 'yung balita na nilabas ito para sa amin na hindi alam ang nangyari noon."

["It's good that this was uncovered, especially for those like us who had no idea."] —JCB, GMA Integrated News