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Brief History!!

"Kankanay", also "Kankanai," "Kankana-i" or "Kankana-ey," has

no definite etymological derivation. It refers to the culture, the
language, and the people who lived together with a neighboring
group called Ibaloy, comprise the Igorot of Benguet (the
southernmost province of the Cordillera region).
These communities appear to have existed long before the coming
of the Spaniards to the archipelago
After the Ifugao and the Bontoc, the Kankanay are the third
largest cultural community in the mountain provinces of northern
Luzon. In 1988 their population was estimated at 125,000.
There are two Kankanay groups: the northern Kankanay (Lepanto
Igorot) and the southern Kankanay.

Physical
Characteristi
cs

have brown skin

tattooed, large
eyes
prominent
cheekbones.

Important infos!!

Demographics
Cultural
Religious Beliefs and Practices
Kankanay House
Plan

Demographics

Kankanay lives in western mountain province,

northern Benguet and southern Ilocos Sur
They speakKankanaey

Kankanaey

The name Kankanaey came from the language which they speak
The only difference among the Kankanaey are the way they speak like
intonation and the usage of some words.
In intonation, there is a hard Kankanaey or Applai and soft Kankanaey.
Speakers of hard Kankanaey are from Sagada, Besao and the surrounding
parts or barrios of the said two municipalities. They speak Kankanaey
hard in intonation where they differ in some words from the softspeaking Kankanaey.
The soft speaking Kankanaey comes from Northern Benguet, some parts
of Benguet, and from the municipalities
ofSabangan,TadianandBaukofrom Mountain Province.

Cultural
Like

mostIgorotethnic groups, the Kankanaey built sloping terraces to

maximize farm space in the rugged terrain of theCordillera.
Two famous institutions of the Kankanaey of Mountain Province are
thedap-ay, the men's dormitory and civic center, and theebgan, the girls'
dormitory where courtship between young men and women took place.
The Kankanaey differ in the way they dress. The women soft-speaking
Kankanaey's dress has a color combination of black, white and red. The
design of the upper attire is a criss-crossed style of black, white and red
colors. The skirt ortapisis a combination of stripes of black, white and red.
The women hard-speaking Kankanaey's dress is composed of mainly red
and black with a little white styles, as for the skirt ortapiswhich is mostly
calledbakgetandgateng. The men wore ag-stringas it is called but it is mainly
known aswanesfor the Kanakaneys of Besao and Sagada. The design of
thewanesmay vary according to social status or municipality.

Religious Beliefs and Practices

The supernatural world of the Kankanay is replete with male and female god
figures, as well as spirit-beings, who comprise a hierarchy of deities under one
supreme entity called Kabunian, creator of all beings and living things in the world
Next to Kabunian is a descending order of lesser gods and spirits. The male gods
are Lumawig, Kabigat, Soyan, Okalan, and Balitok. The female gods are Moan,
Daongen, Angtan, Bangan, Gatan, and Oboy. Their names are recited and invoked
by the Kankanay in various rituals, so that they may intercede for people and
facilitate the granting of favors needed or desired.
Manteneng is a ritual which begins the planting phase.
Legleg is performed to improve the growth of the plants.
an-anito

Kabunian - mainly responsible for the welfare and general well-being of all those
he created. He is also looked upon as the supreme master who taught humans
everything they need to know for life, such as making fire, the cultivation of rice,
and marriage rituals.

Manteneng - Here, the owner of the rice field plants the first two or three rice

seedlings, and recites a prayer asking the spirits of the field to help the plant grow
tall. Only after this will the other workers begin the planting of the rest of the
seedlings.

Legleg - This is done whenever the bonabon seedlings show telltale signs of

withering. A chicken is killed, and is offered to the spirits of the field, trees, rocks,
and other things in the surroundings believed to have been angered or displeased.
Four or five long feathers of the chicken are pulled out and stuck into the site
where the bonabon are planted.

An-anito - similar to the legleg, except that it is performed to seek intercession for
an ailing person

Kankanay House

Traditionally, Kankanay village was set on the

hump of the hill whose elevation afforded a
natural defensive advantage to neighboring
groups.
The are three main house types:
Binangiyan
Apa (Inapa)
Allao

First Type: Binangiyan

For the prosperous members of the community

Similar to the Ifugao House

The house itself rests upon a structure consisting of 3 joists and on 2 girders
on four posts
Close to the ground, there is a wooden platform stretching out to the eaves
The interior is consist of sleeping area, kitchen and storage space for utensils

High, hipped roof with the ridge parallel to the front

Roof drops down from about 1.5 m from the ground

The space formed by the roof and the walls become useful for storage

The floor, which is about 1.5m above the ground is not enclosed enabling the
members of the household do chores
Living room is located upstairs and also the sleeping area and dining area
Attic is used to store rice
There are no windows except a small opening at the roof that serves as a
smoke vent
Only one entrance ( Front door) accessible using a detachable ladder

Second Type: Apa (Inapa)

Dwellings

for the less fortunate

Built more simple compared to the Binangiyan
Like the poor Ifugaos abode, apa has walls built perpendicular to the
ground with the four main posts standing directly at the corners
The materials used for the floor are split bamboos and lengths of runo
Although roof is conical like the binangiyan it is lowered and closer to the
ground

Third Type: Allao

Dwellings for the less fortunate

Has a rectangular floor
Gable shaped roof slopes down beyond the floor and thus simple
structure has no needs for walls

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