Kankanaey
Definition
The Kankanaey are an Igorot people of the southern Cordillera Central, concentrated in western Mountain Province — around Sagada and Besao — and in southern Benguet including Mankayan. They speak Kankanaey, a northern Luzon language, and share in the Cordillera’s terraced-rice civilization, distinguished by practices such as the hanging-coffin burials of Sagada and a strong tradition of backstrap weaving and gangsa gong music.
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Kankanaey |
| Wikidata | Q6363661 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
Also Known As
Kankana-ey; Kankanay
Examples and Analogies
Among the peoples of the Cordillera, the Kankanaey occupy the position of the Sagada highlands’ farmers and weavers: neighbors and kin to the Bontoc and Ibaloy, their stone-walled terraces and cliff-side coffins are to Mountain Province what rice terraces are to Ifugao — the architecture of an entire way of life.
Usage Scenarios
Kankanaey communities farm terraced and swidden rice at altitude; Sagada’s tourism economy — caves, cliffs, weaving shops — runs through Kankanaey towns; cultural groups perform gangsa dances at regional gatherings; elders apply customary law in village disputes.
Strategies
Municipal and barangay governments pair dap-ay and ato council traditions with formal local governance; households diversify between farming, tourism work, and migration to Baguio and Manila.
Security and Safety Measures
Mountain agriculture uses fallowing and communal forest rules (uma and pinugo systems) to protect watersheds; burial-cliff and cave sites are managed with visitor rules under local custom.
Historical Context
The Kankanaey resisted Spanish penetration of the highlands and entered American-era records through missionaries and administrators in Bontoc subprovince; sagada’s Anglican mission, the Lepanto mines of Mankayan, and later tourism each reshaped Kankanaey towns.
Challenges and Controversies
Large mining interests in Mankayan’s gold and copper district strain land and water resources; tourism growth in Sagada raises questions of carrying capacity and cultural commodification; young people’s outmigration thins the ranks of weavers and chant custodians.
Related Topic
Mountain Province