why the canoe is so important to Kino ? what position does it give him in the village ?

The canoe allows Kino to supplement his income by looking for pearls in deeper water. This gives him a greater stature in the village. When the canoe is destroyed, Kino is distraught. Kino feels that the "killing of a man was not so evil as the killing of a boat." His boat is a symbol of his livelihood and hence masculinity/identity.