Where to Meet a Real Indigenous Taiwan!
Many indigenous people fired beacons in their own communities on Feb 28, including a group of young indigenous people firing beacon at a landmark of Taipei City, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in front of hundreds of people and foreign visitors. Why?
Two indigenous peoples from Kaohsiung, Kanakanavu and Hla’arua, which had long been regarded as two subgroups of Cou, were officially recognised by the government and will be announced by the Executive Yuan soon……
#1 Night Ceremony Done, Siraya People: Never Give Up Striving for Official Recognition!
The Siraya people from Beitouyang, Tainan, just finished their annual Night Ceremony for their highest ancestral spirit, Alid, last Sun (Apr 27). However, the indigenous people have been regarded as sinicised already by Taiwan’s government and are not recognized as one of the Taiwanese indigenous peoples officially. The people said they will keep fighting for official recognition.
The Sea Ceremony of the Amis people of Torik in Eastern Taiwan just finished last weekend. In the Amis language, the ceremony is called Pafafoy. As fafoy means “pig”, I wouldn’t have been happy at all for my presence in the name of the ceremony — Because Pafafoy actually means “to sacrifice a pig” (lol)
During the first weekend in March, I visited Tefuye Village in Alishan Township to watch the Mayasvi (Warring Ceremony) of the Tsou people. The indigenous people is mainly distributed among eight communities in Alishan Township of Chiayi County. Although this was my fifth time to witness the ceremony, I have not yet seen it in its entirety, as it takes place over two days and nights.
The No. 11 is as busy as the feet of the pedestrians in Wall Street.
The No. 22 is as romantic as the roses held by the couples in Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
The No. 33 is as long as the time that we wait for the Leo meteor shower.
The No. 44 is as sensitive as Landon’s bluest age.
The No. 55 is as happy as the laughters during the Songkran Festival.
The No. 66 is as generous as the pavilions that we share in Cayamavana!
Among leather carving, wood carving and glaze beads,
We greet each other, “Saabaw!” and sing together
In the moonlight, we listen to the legend of the clouded leopard’s disciples
Shell ginger, butterfly, Formosa lambsquarter, bamboo wrestler and the old tree in front of the formerly Japanese police station
We follow the ancient path of Paiwan people and learn about the wonder of nature
Follow us to the beautiful Rinari and Tavatavang!
Taiwanese Students are occupying the Executive Yuan in protest of unpopular president Ma Ying-Jeou’s decision to rush through legislature that gives China greater access to Taiwan’s assets without the necessary deliberation. Some protestors fear this could lead to a slow annexation of Taiwan into a so-called ‘special region’ of China such as Hong Kong.
The ‘Mayasvi’ or Ceremony of War and Triumph is the greatest event in the calendar of Taiwan’s Tsou people. Now only carried out in either Tefuye (Tfuya) or Dabang (Tapangʉ) village in Alishan, the celebration has no fixed day, but instead the date is traditionally fixed each year by village males depending on such factors as how many babies had been born so far that year.
