Mindanao is the second largest of the three islands of the Philippines. It consists of 18 groups of indigenous people, but who are commonly referred to as the Lumad people.The most well known of the Lumads aare the T'boli and  the B'laan (or "Bla-an").  The other groups are the Ata, Bagobo, Banwaon, Bukidnon, Dibabawon, Higaunon, Kalagan, Mamanwa, Mandaya, Mangguwangan, Manobo, Mansaka, Subanen, Tagakaolo, Teduray and the Ubo. The  T'boli live in the souther part of the province of Cotabata with a population of an estimated 1000,000 to 150,000. They gain income from agricultural and use the primitive method of slash and burn agricultural. Still, they face hardship with money and are very poor. They practice an animistic religion that worships upper Gods(Magbabaya) and lower Gods(Pamahandi). They believe that these Gods control the success of their lands and supply for fish. They worship their ancestors spirits and provide sacrifices such as pigs and chickens to prevent illness, death, deficient crops, and poverty. A tribal shaman is asked for advice if someone misfortune occurs. Missionaries have recently converted the Higaunon people(animism believers) into Christianity and they have began relying on western medicine. 

Higaunon grew a variety of vegetables including white beans, onions, corn, and rice. They often kill wild pigs, wild foul, and amphibians to support the tribe. The surplus or unwanted foods are sold to markets to garner profits for other needed items. The Higaunon land is being threatened by international companies who are logging their land and destroy their tropical rainforest that they inhabit. Immigrants to Mindanao pose a threat to the Higaunon because they expunge the resources they require. In southern Mindanao, it is primarily Muslim with many insurgents and terrorist organizations. The most well know terrorist organization in Mindanao is the Abu Sayyaf who garner support by the Higanunon through manipulation and threats. They have connections to Al-Qaeda is supposedly provide funding to them. 

Abu Sayyaf is responsible for may kidnappings, bombings, and extortion out of desire for an independent Muslim state of the Philippines. In the Western and Southern part of Mindanao almost 2.1 million Muslims reside. Abu Sayyaf often target foreigners for ransoms and financial gains. Moro national Liberation frobnt (MNLF)  and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) singed a treaty to allow the Muslim people make their own decisions. The Abu Sayyaf are a dangerous Islamic terrorist organization with heavy ties to the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the Middle East.