Michael Rudolph 2001:
Paradigm change: Reevaluation of Taiwan's Aborigines' status at the beginning of the 1990s
1. Taiwan’s aborigines before the
1990s Until the end of the 1980s, few
people knew anything about Taiwan’s malayo-polynesian aborigines, today called
`Yuanzhumin` (YZM). In order to legitimise its own power on the
island and to unite Taiwan’s people against the communist mainland, Taiwan’s
national government KMT had tried to suppress any expression of local or ethnic
culture after its succession to the Japanese colonizers in 1945; instead, it
cultivated the myth that all inhabitants of Taiwan originated from the
legendary yellow emperor. Considered as ethnic Chinese, Taiwan’s aborigines
were not only vested with the same rights as all other Chinese on the island,
but were also forced to compete in a cultural and political climate that was
totally dominated by the Han. They had to learn Chinese, were educated in
schools together with Han and had to give up their traditional living styles.
It was mainly due to the cultural disadvantages resulting from this
ethnic
policy in Taiwan after 1945 that Taiwan’s aborigines as a whole societal group soon developed major
problems in their socio-cultural adaptation to Han society: Alcohol abuse,
girls
prostitution (have also
a look at Chinese paper with Internet Explorer), a high divorce rate and and a high rate of
criminal behaviour belonged to the most visible manifestations ((Rudolph
1993; Hsu 1991). 2. Revival of
aboriginal cultures and identity in Taiwan after 1990: The political background
When Li Denghui was officially
elected president in 1990 and hence was reconfirmed in his role as the first
Taiwan-born president in Taiwan’s history, a profound cultural transformation
took place on the island. After four centuries of domination by foreign powers
(the Spain, the Dutch, the Chinese, the Japanese and the Mainlanders who had
come as refugees from the mainland with Chiang Kai-shek after 1945), the issue
of identity search of `the Taiwanese` now became a theme of growing
significance in the political arena, tolerated now as it didn’t collide with
Li’s endeavour to consolidate his power vis a vis the Mainlanders (lit.:
`people from the external provinces`) who were still represented in the
government and in the military. At the same time, there also occurred a
re-evaluation of Taiwan’s relationship to the communist mainland, that tried to
hinder this development by more and more aggressive contests of its sovereignty
and that once again emphasised it’s conviction of cultural and genetic homogeneity of Taiwan’s and China’s
population. The re-negotiation of cultural
identities in Taiwan and the construction of a particular history and culture
that differentiated Taiwan from China also had its impacts on Taiwan’s
indigenous population, that – though consisting of at least 12
Malayo-Polynesian groups – makes up no more than 1,6% of the population in
Taiwan. For the first time in the history of interaction of Han and Non-Han,
the languages, cultural traditions as well as the different value- and moral
systems of these ethnic minorities now received attention – an attention that
in its last consequence not only involved the official recognition of Taiwan’s
Aborigines as indigenous people, but that was also accompanied by the
implementation of specified cultural and political institutions. The process described
above was enhanced by the endeavours of
the
ethno-political movement of Taiwan’s
Aborigines (Taiwan
Yuanzhumin shehui yundong), a movement that – in spite of its strong
support by the political opposition, the Church, and human rights groups - had
developed rather slowly in its struggle against discrimination and social
marginalization in the years succeeding to its foundation in 1984, but that
after 1990 received growing respect and attention from the side of Taiwan’s main
society as well as from the government.
Some of the treasures `unearthed` and publicised in this process have
increasingly received my attention in the last couple of years when I wrote my
doctoral dissertation on the ethno-political movement of Taiwan’s aborigines. I
am convinced that many of the materials available in the Internet in Chinese
language (unfortunately, there are only few pages in English language) are also
of interest to readers who live beyond the sphere of influence of Chinese
civilization, for instance for those who are interested in the music, the
rituals or the handicrafts of Taiwan’s original inhabitants. Below, you will find some web-sits
that have been constructed by either Han or aboriginal intellectuals in Taiwan
in order to introduce this particular part of Taiwan’s culture to a broader
public. Most of them appeared in Taiwan’s `Yamweb` under the category `Society and
Culture`/ `Native Taiwanese`. In order to make them more easily
accessible, I added a few comments in English language. 3. Web-Sites on Aboriginal culture
and identity in Taiwan ‘Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Park’
行政院原住民族委員會文化園區管理局 (in Chinese and in English). Web-Site of the administrators of the Culture Park
in Taiwan’s most southern county Pingdong that also gives an introduction to
the rites of nine different aboriginal groups. Look for Video clips about the
rites and festivals of nine groups in the Chinese version of the section
`Taiwan Aboriginals` under http://www.tacp.gov.tw/intro/fmintro.htm. For
traditional music of nine aboriginal
groups look in the Chinese Version of the section `Art and Culture` under
http://www.tacp.gov.tw/art/fmart.htm. ‘Taiwan International Ethnographic Filmfestival
(TIEF)’
台灣國際民族誌影展 (in Chinese
and in English). Web-Site of the festival held
at Academia Sinica from 21. to 25.9. 2001. Except from comments to the films
presented at the festival (ethnographic films not only from Taiwan, but also
from many other countries), the site also provides short video clips of the
films. ‘Atayal Facial
Tattoo Culture Studio’
泰雅紋面文史工作室 (in Chinese and partly in English). Photographs of old
tattooed people with their stories. Web-Site composed by Tian Guishi, a member
of the Taroko-Atayal, who also tells us about his own motivation to collect the
pictures and the stories. ‘Difang the Singer’
郭英男-台灣原住民之寶 (in Chinese and in English). Presents music of the Ami to download.
The Ami Difang (Guo Yingnan) became famous through the Western music group
Enigma that blended Difang’s voice from an old recording in one of their own
pop songs. The song was particularly popular in 1994/95 when it was chosen as
the lead song of the Olympic Games. The web-site also contains discussions on
the problem of the protection of
cultural and intellectual property of Aborigines. ‘Formosa Aboriginal Singing and Dancing Troupe’
=:原舞者:= (only in Chinese
). The ‘Formosa Aboriginal Singing
and Dancing Troupe’ - ´Yuanwuzhe` - is composed of members of different
aboriginal groups. Founded with the help of ethnologist Hu Taili in 1991, the
group’s members travel back to the tribes in order to make field study on
rituals and dancing styles before performing them in public. On this web-site,
you will find information on the history of the group, about its members
fieldstudy in the tribes of different ethnic groups, introductions to some of
Yuanwuzhe’s dance performances as well as a list of the dates of festivals of all of Taiwan’s aboriginal
groups. ‘Gufeng Bunun Museum’
古風布農博物館 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site of Li Zhongxiang of the Zhuofeng school in Hualian county.
Very detailed introduction to the rites, weaving art, musical instruments,
food, hunting culture, agriculture and legends of the Bunun. ’Public Television
Service Foundation: Formosa Aboriginal News Magazine’
公共電視台《原住民新聞雜誌》 (only in Chinese ). Weekly news from
10 reporters from 10 aboriginal groups as an electronical magazine. The material
is also presented in a weekly TV-emission in Taiwan. ‘Aborigines WWW-Teaching Materials’
原住民網頁教學資源庫 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site composed by the Dongxin
Primary school in Nangang / Taibei. The construction of this site that provides
teaching materials on Taiwan’s aborigines has been commissioned by the bureau
of education of Taibei city. The page contains a rough introduction to the
history, culture, lifestyle and living conditions of Taiwan’s aborigines in
general. Explanations to rites and festivals can be found under the category
`culture`. ‘Appreciation of Taiwan’s Original Voice’
重現台灣原始聲音─ 原住民文物資料展 (only in Chinese ). A web-site composed at Danjiang
University with a collection of articles about Taiwan’s aborigines culture,
origin, distribution etc.. With video clips of dances of the Amei to download. ‘The Sound of Taiwan’s Aborigines’
原住民之音 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site on Taiwan aborigines in
general with lots of music clips to download
(http://home.pchome.com.tw./art/aborigin2000/song/song.htm ). The clips include
traditional as well as modern pieces (for instance A-Mei or Panai), you will
also find some music of American Indians in this collection. Except from the
section on music, there is a section on Gemalan-Pingpu (one of those aboriginal
groups that were said to have extinguished more than a 100 years ago, but that
suddenly reappeared in the beginning of the 1990s), a section on the culture of
the Rukai and on their problems of adaptation to Taiwan’s modern Han-world, as
well as a section on the living conditions, the adaptation problems, and the
legal situation of Taiwan’s aborigines in general. ‘Pepo’
平埔文化資訊網 (only in Chinese ) Provides detailed articles of well
known scholars about the distribution, the classification and the culture of
the Pingpu. The web-site also includes an index of useful books on the Pingpu. ‘Taiwan Aborigines Education Centre’
原住民教育研究中心 (only in Chinese ) The web-site of the centre that has been established at the Hualian Pedagogic College in 1991 provides very useful papers about aborigines’ education
in the second section. In the fifth section you will find a list of
governmental and academic bodies as well as non-official organizations that
discuss the issue of aboriginal education in Taiwan. ‘Watahope’
原住民族部落工作隊 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site of the Aboriginal Tribes Cultural Association of
the Alliance of Taiwanese Aborigines. With a free Aboriginal Online Magazine
(Chief editors are Han photographer Guan Xiaorong and Yamei writer Xiaman Lanpoan),
a section on aboriginal music (advertising new CD’s) as well as a section with
photographs. ‘Council of Aboriginal Affairs, Republic of
Taiwan’
行政院原住民委員會 (in Chinese with an English introduction). Information on
the organization of this governmental body in general as well as on the social,
cultural and political situation of Taiwan’s Aborigines. ‘Taibei City
Commission of Indigenous Affairs’
台北市政府原住民事務委員會 (in Chinese and English). Information on
aborigines` welfare. Music to download in the Chinese version under
http://www.native.taipei.gov.tw/page_14.htm . ‘Commission of Indigenous Affairs Kaohsiung
City Government’
高雄市原住民事務委員會 (only in Chinese ). Information on the organization
of this governmental body in general, on the welfare system of Taiwan’s
Aborigines as well as on the distribution of resources. ‘The Huilan Foundation’
洄瀾網之花蓮人文 (only in Chinese ) Web-Site of one of the first organizations with nativist
orientation in Hualian at
Taiwan’s East coast. The site offers detailed and general information on
aboriginal culture and living problems as well as links to other web-sites. ’Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines’
順益台灣原住民博物館 (only in Chinese ) Web-Site of the
Shunyi Museum in Taibei with
Taiwan’s largest collection
of aboriginal culture. ’Lanyu Project’
蘭嶼專題 (only in Chinese ) Web-Site of the Lanyu Project at Academia Sinica
in Taibei about the culture of the Yami on Orchid island in the south of
Taiwan. Detailed information on the rites and legends as well as on the living
conditions and adaptation problems of this ethnic group. Look for video clips
on rites in the Media Centre, last section. ‘The Tsou foundation’
鄒族文教基金會 (only in Chinese ). A detailed introduction to the
culture of the Zhou of Alishan. ‘Taiwan’s Aborigines
– The Zhou’
台灣原住民 – 皺族 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site on the culture and cultural
activities of the Zhou of Alishan. ‘Introduction to the
Rukai language’
魯凱語簡介 (only in Chinese ) Web-Site about the language
(grammar, pronunciation), but also about the legends of the Rukai. ‘Ruisi’s Atelier’
芮絲工作坊 (only in Chinese ) Web-Site composed by a Paiwan intellectual with photographs and some
comments of Paiwan culture. ’Kokai Taiwan
Aboriginal E-Commerce Web-site’
Kokai台灣原住民商務網 (only in Chinese ). Promotion of
aboriginal artefacts, with a short introduction to Taiwan’s aborigines in
general. ‘Formosan Aboriginal
Culture Village’
九族文化村 (in Chinese and partly in English). Introduction to the culture park in Nantou
(also in English) and a short introduction to aborigines in general. ‘Amis Tribe’
大地之子 - 原住民 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site of the Amei with some clips of
Amei music to download. ‘Shanguang-Community:
The Migration History of the Amei’
山光社區:阿美族變遷史 (only in Chinese ). Detailed reports on
the culture and the development of the Amei community ‘Shanguang’ in
Xizhi/Taibei by members of the Amei. ‘Atayal Smangus’
司馬庫斯 (only in Chinese )
Atayal Smangus community in Jianshe, detailed report on the culture and
development by members of the Atayal. ‘Nanwang Elementary School in Taidong’
台東縣南王國民小學 (only in Chinese ) Cultural Materials from the Puyuma
of the Nanwang elementary school in Nanwang/ Taidong county. ‘We are the Thao’
邵網站 (only in Chinese ) This website offers information about the Zhou of Alishan. ‘Seewa’
喜娃原住民旅遊網站 (only in Chinese )
About tourism, tourist resources and touring facilities in aboriginal areas. ’Mystic Legends of Taiwan’s Aborigines’
台灣高山族的神祕傳奇 (only in Chinese ). Information on
the legends of nine aboriginal groups, also including a short introduction to
Taiwan’s
aborigines in general. ‘Delicious Foods of the Aborigines of Hualian’
花蓮原住民文化美食 (only in Chinese ) Web-site of ‘038 Hualian’
about the cooking art and restaurants of Taiwan’s aborigines in Hualian. ‘The Pingpu of Wanjin Village in Chishan’
屏東赤山萬金莊 (only in Chinese ). Web-Site with information on the
Pingpu. ’The Culture of Taiwan’s Aborigines’
原住民文化
(only in Chinese ) Web-Site of ‘038 Hualian’ on Taiwan’s aborigines culture
in general. ‘Fourth World Aborigines Information Net’
第四世界原住民全球資訊網 (only in Chinese ). This Web-Site that has been
composed by Aboriginal Post not only provides information on Taiwan’s
aborigines, but also on indigenous populations in other countries and their social
movements. ’Embrace the Ancestors Souls’
擁抱祖靈
(only in Chinese ). Provides news on Taiwan’s aborigines
as well as articles on aboriginal politics, mostly by anonymous writers. |