Tingguian Culture as Communicated through Women’s Traditional Attire

Cultural appropriation often occurs in traditional attire, particularly those belonging to Indigenous Communities. This qualitative study, framed within the semiotic communication tradition, aimed to identify the different symbolic elements in Tingguian women’s traditional attire and investigated the symbolic meanings associated with each component. The study was conducted through field observation and semi-structured interviews in the Tingguian Community in Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, and strictly followed the procedures outlined by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). Through the rigors of Charles Sander Pierce’s semiotics, the findings of the study revealed the presence of six symbolic elements, namely: (a) straight lines, (b) triangles, (c) flower symbols, (d) ovals, (e) circles, and (f) checkered patterns. The study found that these symbolic elements communicated two main symbolic meanings: (a) beliefs towards community prosperity, which means emphasizing the values of unity, cooperation, and mutual assistance; and (b) spiritual beliefs, which means reinforcing rituals aimed at ensuring the protection of individuals within the community. Overall, this semiotic study revealed that traditional attire is not only a piece of clothing among indigenous peoples, but it also represents their Tingguian identity.