The
Cañari (in
Kichwa: Kañari) are an indigenous
ethnic group traditionally inhabiting the territory of the modern provinces of
Azuay and
Cañar in
Ecuador. They are descended from the independent
pre-Columbian tribal confederation of the same name. The historic people are particularly noted for their resistance against the
Inca Empire. Eventually conquered by the Inca in the early 16th century shortly before the arrival of the Spanish, the Cañari later allied with the Spanish against the Inca. Today, the population of the Cañari, who include many
mestizos, numbers in the thousands.