Who Are the Kankanaey?
The Kankanaey are an indigenous people of the Cordillera mountains in northern Luzon, Philippines, numbering approximately 250,000-300,000 in Benguet and Mountain Province. They speak Kankanaey, an Austronesian language with northern and southern dialects. Part of the broader Igorot ethnolinguistic group, the Kankanaey are known for their rice terrace agriculture, gold mining traditions, and ritual practices. The city of Baguio, the Philippines' summer capital, lies in traditional Kankanaey territory, bringing both opportunities and challenges as urbanization transforms their homeland.
Gold Mining Heritage
The Kankanaey have mined gold in Benguet for centuries, long before Spanish colonization. Traditional small-scale mining used techniques suited to local conditions. The gold rush brought lowland Filipinos and foreign companies in the early 20th century, transforming the region. Large-scale mining operations coexist (and conflict) with small-scale indigenous mining. Environmental degradation from mining affects communities. Some Kankanaey benefit from mining employment; others suffer from its impacts. This complex relationship with extractive industries shapes contemporary Benguet politics and economics.
Begnas and Ritual Practice
Begnas is a Kankanaey ritual of community blessing, cleansing, and renewal performed at agricultural and social transitions. During begnas, normal activities cease; outsiders are excluded; the community reaffirms solidarity. Ritual specialists (manbunong) lead ceremonies, sacrifice animals, and communicate with spirits. Though many Kankanaey have converted to Christianity, begnas and other rituals persist, sometimes integrated with Christian practice. This ritual calendar connects communities to agricultural cycles, ancestral traditions, and each other. Preserving these practices amid urbanization and religious change requires conscious effort.
Contemporary Kankanaey
Modern Kankanaey navigate between traditional highland life and integration with Philippine mainstream society. Baguio's growth has engulfed much Kankanaey territory, transforming farmers into urban workers. Education has produced Kankanaey professionals throughout the Philippines. Mining and agricultural livelihoods continue in rural areas. Rice terraces face maintenance challenges as youth migrate. Cultural organizations work to preserve language and traditions. The Cordillera autonomy movement includes Kankanaey participation. How the Kankanaey balance indigenous identity with urbanization in the Baguio region—and maintain rural traditions amid economic transformation—shapes this terrace-farming people's diverse futures.
References
- Finin, G. A. (2005). The Making of the Igorot: Ramut Ti Panagkaykaysa Dagiti Taga Cordillera
- Russell, S. D. (1987). "Middlemen and Moneylending: Relations of Exchange in a Highland Philippine Economy"
- Afable, P. O. (1989). "Language, Culture, and Identity: The Igorot of the Northern Philippines"