Philippines
/ People / Other Cultural Minorities / Kankanai
Number:
125,000
Region:
western side of the Cordillera range, especially in Benguet province.
Physical
Features: brown skinned, athletic build
Dialect Kankanai,
although Ilocano is the lingua franca of the tribe; some speak
Nabaloi
Religion:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, animist
Integration:
Partly integrated.
Community:
They are under the administration of elected village leaders.
Many of the educated Kankanais live in Baguio City.
Traditional
Form of Settlement: Several families are grouped in a single
dwelling with separate kitchens and yards for each family.
Technological
Level: Modern household appliances are widely used.
Education:
Literacy is high; many can speak and write English.
Employment:
Originally, the Kankanais were farmers. But today, most of them
receive cash incomes from employment in government and private
companies. Many of them have jobs as workers in mining and timber
industries. Due to the missionaries' influence, some have entered
the priesthood or nunnery.
Traditional
Mode of Dress: For men, lowland Christian attire for traveling;
G-strings made of woven cloth called "wanes" or bark G-strings
called "kaba" for working. The women wear skirts called "tapis"
or "palingay" paired with upper shirt called "kaba" when they
are traveling, or skirts without an upper garment when working
and at home.
Traditional
Adornments: Older men wear headbands made of cloth or bark
called "bedbed" as a symbol of prestige. The women wear hair ornaments,
earrings and bead necklaces.