Searching for Maura | An illustrated investigation

Summary

The story of Maura, an Indigenous Kankanaey woman from the Philippines, highlights the tragic reality of human displays at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Maura was recruited along with hundreds of Filipinos to be exhibited as part of a Philippine Exposition. Enduring harsh travel conditions, Maura fell ill and died before the fair opened. Her cerebellum was taken by Ales Hrdlicka, a Smithsonian anthropologist, as part of a now-condemned brain collection. Janna Añonuevo Langholz, a Filipino American activist, has sought justice for Maura and others exploited in the fair's colonial display.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Maura, a young Kankanaey woman from Suyoc, Philippines, was brought to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of a display to showcase the U.S. territory.
• 📅 The journey to the fair was arduous, with Maura and over 230 other Filipinos traveling by ship for over a month across the Pacific Ocean.
• 🏥 Upon arrival, several Filipinos, including Maura, fell ill, with some succumbing to pneumonia, highlighting the harsh conditions they faced.
• ❄️ Maura's wish was to have her body returned to the Philippines for burial, reflecting her connection to her homeland despite her untimely death in a foreign land.
• 🏰 The Philippine Exposition at the fair was a popular exhibit, where the daily lives of the Filipinos were turned into a spectacle for entertainment.
• 🐶 Fair officials pressured the Igorots to perform certain acts, like eating dogs, to reinforce stereotypes, which had lasting impacts on perceptions of Filipinos.
• 🧠 Ales Hrdlicka, a physical anthropologist, collected the cerebellum of a Suyoc Igorot, likely Maura, for his 'racial brain collection', without consent.
• 🔍 Over a century later, Janna Añonuevo Langholz, a Filipino American activist, discovered Maura's story and began efforts to honor her memory and seek justice.
• 🏺 The Smithsonian Institution has since repatriated some of the brains from Hrdlicka's collection, including four from Filipino individuals, as part of efforts to address historical wrongs.
• 🕍 The Suyoc community in the Philippines continues to search for Maura's burial site and plans to build a memorial in her honor, symbolizing the enduring impact of her story.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis?

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis was a historic exhibition of U.S. expansionism and innovation, aimed at showcasing the new territory of the Philippines and justifying the U.S. occupation.

Why were Maura and other Filipinos brought to the World's Fair?

Maura and other Filipinos were brought to the World's Fair to be put on display as part of the Philippine Exposition, which aimed to showcase the new U.S. territory and its people.

What is known about Maura's background and her community?

Maura was born around 1886 in Suyoc, a mining community in the Cordillera mountains of Luzon, and was Kankanaey, an Indigenous Igorot group. Her tattoos suggested she likely came from a high-status family.

What was the journey like for Maura and the other Filipinos traveling to St. Louis?

The journey was long and arduous, with over 230 Filipinos packed together in steerage quarters on a commercial ship, crossing the Pacific Ocean for more than a month.

How were the Filipinos received upon arrival in the United States?

Upon arrival in Tacoma, Washington, they were greeted by hundreds of curious locals. The journey by train to St. Louis was marked by extreme temperatures, with some experiencing unbearably hot conditions and others unbearably cold.

What health issues did the Filipinos face during their stay in St. Louis?

Several Filipinos, including Maura, contracted pneumonia, likely due to the unfamiliar cold weather and poor living conditions. At least two died from the illness before the fair began.

What was the role of Ales Hrdlicka in the story of Maura and the other Filipinos?

Ales Hrdlicka, head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution, took the cerebellum of a Suyoc Igorot, likely Maura, for his 'racial brain collection,' based on his now debunked theories about racial differences.

How did Janna Añonuevo Langholz become involved in uncovering Maura's story?

Janna Añonuevo Langholz, a Filipino American activist and artist, discovered Maura's story during a rare April snowstorm in St. Louis, which reminded her of the 1904 World's Fair.

What actions did Janna take to honor Maura and the other Filipinos from the fair?

Janna documented life in the villages on a website, led tours of the neighborhood, raised money for headstones on unmarked graves, and searched for Maura's burial place. She also began discussions with the Smithsonian to return the cerebellum taken from Maura.

What was the outcome of Janna's efforts to have the cerebellum returned to the Philippines?

The Smithsonian could not verify the identity of the person whose cerebellum was taken and could not provide a location for where it was cremated. However, they have repatriated a total of four brains from Hrdlicka's collection as of August 2023.

What is the current status of the remaining brains collected by Hrdlicka?

As of August 2023, the Smithsonian has repatriated four brains, but the other 255 brains remain in museum storage.