Association of Indigenous Peoples of Benguet
KABENGUETAN

Kumusta, kakabsat?

Our culture is our identity and we all know, when we lose our culture, we lose our people.

As immigrants, starting and integrating life here in Canada can be isolating. Cultures and traditions can easily be forgotten if not taught and passed on to the youth.  Values and the sense of community may disintegrate, leaving the youth lost in this new and different place.

Having a group where elders and youth freely express themselves and learn from each other becomes a source of finding the self and building connections to our towns of origin. The Kabenguetan community has come together over the years by living its traditions and practices driven by the values of patience, responsibility, diligence, unity, and respect. 

These are values that they contribute to Canada as settlers.  The values are also expressed in the beating of the gongs and the solibao with the Bendian dances performed in almost all of the community gatherings of the Kabenguetan. These dances are used as vehicle for intergenerational storytelling among the elders, adults, and the youth to build individual and community identities which are core to successful settlement as immigrants.