Chananaw Tribe

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“Chananaw” tribe is located in Barangay Dananao of Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines. The name “Chananaw” comes from the lake in the middle of the village before. According to the local people, “Chananaw’s” name started when there was a clan wars in Tucucan of Bontoc, Mountain Province. As claimed, there are two brothers escaped and take its way along the Chico River to the east. After two days of wondering around, they had seen a village and decided to stay. The people in the village was befriended by them and allowed to keep them for a long period of time. Eventually the older brother got married and the younger brother named Farnaw continued to travel along the outskirt mountain of Tulgao finding himself for his future. Along his journey in Tulgao, Farnaw met a young woman named “Chanaw”. She warmly welcomed him to stay and introduced him to the family members. Farnaw showed his explicit quality as a gentleman to the family and help around “Chanaw’s” family. Not for long, “Chanaw’s” parents decided to let Farnaw marry their daughter. The young couple lived happily and raised two sons. When the parents of “Chanaw” died, Farnaw started to hunt pigs in the forest. They don’t have rice fields to plow in Tulgao. The usual routine continued until one day, Farnaw did not come back as he hunts in the north of Tulgao. It is been five days, “Chanaw” was so worried and instructed her two sons to search for their father. They followed the foot trail to the north with no trace of “Farnaw”. On the second day of searching, a dog barking nearby heard from where they stand and rushed to the area. Finally, they had found their father floating in the lake. His body was fished out and laid on the large rock at the side of the lake. In turn, “Chanaw” asked her eldest son to go back in the village and spread the news. The tribes gathered together in the wake for five days. Right after the burial of “Farnaw”, “Chanaw” decided to stay in the burial site of her husband. Then she instructed the two sons to plow around the burial as they cultivated the land area. Eventually the great effort turned it into a rice puddies named its place as “Farnaw”, a tribute for her husband. Years pass by, “Chanaw” in senile stage told her sons to return in their village, Tulgao to find their own wives. The wish was granted and “Chanaw” was so happy to see her sons married and lived in “Farnaw” with the extended family. Not long after seeing her grandchildren, “Chanaw” died at peace. The two sons changed its land area as “Chananaw”, derived from its name from their parents: “Farnaw” and “Chanaw”. When the Spaniards came in the area, “Chananaw” was named as “Dananao”. For the local tribes, they still call the place as “Chananaw” and “Dananao” is the official name of the government system in the Philippines.