Michael Rudolph 2001:

 

Paradigm change: Reevaluation of Taiwan's Aborigines' status at the beginning of the 1990s

 

This page has been created in September 2001 with the aim

 

1) to provide some information about Taiwan’s non-Han malayo-polynesian inhabitants and their living conditions;

2) to give an insight into the historical and political background responsible for the `revival` of Aboriginal culture and identity in Taiwan since the beginning of the1990s;

3) to provide addresses of web-sites that have been constructed either by aboriginal or by Han intellectuals in Taiwan within the last couple of years, together with short comments to these pages .                                     

 

 

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 its 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.


In the course of the increasingly
multiculturalist policy in Taiwan during the 1990s, not only the different cultural groups of Han on the island (i.e., Hoklo, Hakka, and mainlanders), but also the 12 aboriginal groups were encouraged to participate in so called `community revitalization projects`, to get actively involved in local cultural life and to take part in rituals and celebrations as well as in the collection of oral history. The quest for re-organization of Taiwan’s cultural memory was enthusiastically answered by large numbers of young aboriginal- and Han-intellectuals, who now not only increased their efforts to stage the particularities of Taiwan’s cultures as `authentically` as possible (sometimes - as in the case of the head-hunting and tattooing practices - also referring to parts of the aboriginal cultures that had long time been avoided by the common people), but who also tried to make them accessible to the whole Chinese speaking world, presenting them through books, videos, and musical recordings and making abundant use of such new media as the Internet.

 

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 (last update September 2001 !!!)

 

‘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 Taiwans 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.