Bunun Bunun TribeTribe

And Other Indigenous Peoples

in Taiwan

OverviewOverviewMotivation and PurposeTaiwan’s Aborigines Introduction to Bunun TribeAboriginal Activities involved

inCrises Faced by Aboriginal

TribesConclusion and ReflectionsReferences

MotivationMotivation The reason why we are interested in

this topic is because our classmate, Savi, is a Bunun girl from Hualien. Bunun is one of the aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. What’s impressed us is that Savi has made a great effort to promote her culture by attending several aboriginal activities and winning competitions, which makes us curious and want to know more about her tribe and culture.

PurposePurpose Savi has performed brilliantly by

intro-ducing and promoting her Bunun tribe culture, therefore, our purpose in this project is to specifically explore more about her tribe’s history, culture, feature, customs, languages and simultaneously get to know more about other indigenous peoples in Taiwan.

Jia-Shin, with the name Savi in Jia-Shin, with the name Savi in Bunun LanguageBunun Language

Savi won the prizes in the Savi won the prizes in the Taipei and island-wide Taipei and island-wide aboriginal language speech aboriginal language speech contests.contests.

Taiwan’s Taiwan’s AboriginesAborigines

Taiwan’s AboriginesTaiwan’s Aborigines

Sedig

PaiwanRukai

Saisiyat

Tsou

Thao

Bunun

Truku

Yami

Amis

Kavalan

Puyuma

Sakizaya

Atayal

Atayal TribeAtayal Tribe Population: 83,000 Over a larger area than any other aboriginal people Feature: Facial

tattooing Tattoos on both men

and women as a MARK of adulthood or honor

Truku (Toroka) Truku (Toroka) TribeTribe

Population: 20700 In the mountain of Hualien, a subtribe of the Atayal Feature:

Tattooing Facial tattoos is a sign of adulthood. They used to hold animistic beliefs.

Amis TribeAmis Tribe Population: 138,000 On the plains, along sea shores, river banks, the largest population of all aboriginal tribes Feature: Harvest festival Generally held in every village in July or August

Sakizaya TribeSakizaya Tribe Population: 5,000~10,000

In Hualien County villages and urban areas of northern Taiwan Feature: worship

ceremony

Holding ceremonies to memorize ancestors and worship Palamal, the god of fire

Tsou TribeTsou Tribe Population: 6,500 In the west of the Central Mountain Range’s central section Feature: Mayasvi festival TO welcome warriors returning from their hunting and mark men’s adulthood

Paiwan TribePaiwan TribePopulation: 65,000 In the south of the Central Range Mt. and eastern coastal mountain area Feature: Hereditary system Tattooing tribe once with class distinctions of chieftain, nobility and commoners

Rukai TribeRukai Tribe

Population: 9000 In the mountains on the southern tip of the Central Mt. Range Feature: Lily head ornament Given by the chieftain because of their bravery and chastity

Puyuma TribePuyuma TribePopulation: 9,600 On the plains to the south of the Taitung valleyFeature: Rite and

festival Including adulthood ceremonies, warrior training and colorful sophisticated woven

fabrics 

Yami TribeYami TribePopulation: 4,300

In the villages on Orchid Island, 78 kilometers to the southeast of Taiwan

Feature: Flying Fish Festival

Including the blessing of the boats, praying for a bountiful catch, fish storing ceremony ceremonies, etc.

Saisiyat TribeSaisiyat TribePopulation: 4,200 In the Northwest of the

Central Mt. Range, in Hsinchu and Miaoli border Feature: Pasta’ai

ceremony Worshipping negritos and receiving the returning souls in the full moon of the lunar October

Thao TribeThao Tribe Population: 500

Mostly on the banks of Sun Moon Lake in

central Taiwan Feature: Pestle music Using the wooden

pestle as an instrument to play

music and entertain the tourists in Sun Moon Lake Area

Kavalan TribeKavalan TribePopulation: 1,145 Originally in Yilan area

and now in Hualien and

TaitungFeature: Tribe

ceremonies

Including victory celebrations, funerals and ancestor worship

ceremony

Sedig TribeSedig TribePopulation: Over 5,000 Mostly in Renai Township

of Nantou County Feature: Subtribe of

Atayal Became Taiwan’s 14th officially recognized tribe

in 2008

Introduction to Introduction to Bunun TribeBunun Tribe

History of Bunun History of Bunun TribeTribe

Known as the Vonum The last tribes to be "pacified" during

the Japanese rule (1895-1945) Concentrating in mountainous regions of

the Central Mountain Range Then being forced to migrate to lowland villages with small family units after resistance against Japanese

NowadaysNowadays

Population: 39,000 Spreading to Nantou, Kaoshiung, Hualien and Taitung counties due to the massive migrations

The Best-known The Best-known FeatureFeature

Sophisticated polyphonic vocal music,

also called Eight-part Harmonic Singing

Unique Polyphonic vocal Unique Polyphonic vocal musicmusic Japanese scholar Kurosawa Takatomo

presented recordings of Bunun music in Paris in 1943. It has caught western ethnomusicologists’ attention.

Festivals in CultureFestivals in Culture

Ear and planting FestivalsEar and planting Festivals

•A rite of male adulthood and passage ceremony

•Holding between March and April•Prohibiting women from attending•Before the festival, every adult

male would go to the mountains to hunt.

Ear Ear FestivalFestival

Planting festivalPlanting festival

Telling ancestry spirits of the Telling ancestry spirits of the planting and praying for dilas planting and praying for dilas harvest in November and Decemberharvest in November and December

CustomsCustoms Musical culture is closely tied to singing and dancing. Customs, heritage, festivals, rituals, daily life and living environment developed all involve singing and dancing.

BBunun Tribe Celebritiesunun Tribe Celebrities

Famous pop singers & Golden Song Famous pop singers & Golden Song Award WinnersAward Winners

Aboriginal Aboriginal Activities Activities

involved ininvolved in

Winning the English Singing Winning the English Singing Contest Held in Taipei CityContest Held in Taipei City

Savi

Bunun language Bunun language promotionpromotion

Savi teaches our school students Bunun aboriginal Savi teaches our school students Bunun aboriginal language during Taiwan Heritage and Culture time language during Taiwan Heritage and Culture time on Friday through our campus announcement on Friday through our campus announcement

SystemSystem.

Bunun language Bunun language LearningLearning

Mihumisang = Hello Uninang = Thank you Sumanai = Sorry Tama = Dad Tina = Mom

Promoting Bunun aboriginal Promoting Bunun aboriginal CultureCulture

in South Africain South Africa

SAVI

Crisis Faced by Crisis Faced by Aboriginal Aboriginal TribesTribes

Crises Faced by Crises Faced by Aboriginal TribesAboriginal Tribes

Population decreasing and migration

to other locations or urban areas Mountain regional exploitation and development Sinicized by Han People in Taiwan

Bunun Tribe in Siu-Lang, Bunun Tribe in Siu-Lang, HualienHualien

The Village set up aboriginal signs, sculpture poles to preserve Bunun Culture.

Flagstone Houses in Flagstone Houses in Bunun TribeBunun Tribe

Flagstone houses preserved in Flagstone houses preserved in Bunun VillagesBunun Villages

Conclusion and Conclusion and ReflectionsReflections

Should be proud of our own culture and promote it just like Savi does Increasing our respect to multicultures and their origins Profoundly understanding more about Taiwan’s aborigines in Taiwan, specifically Bunun tribe Should explore more about our own family backgrounds and roots

References IReferences IYahoo: http://tw.yahoo.comGoogle http://www.google.com.twWikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page台灣原住民服飾介紹

http://formosa-force-games.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post.html

順益台灣原住民博物館 http://www.museum.org.tw/index.htm行政院原住民委員會 http://www.apc.gov.tw/portal/

References IIReferences II

台灣原住民史布農族史篇 The History of Formosan Aborigines

Bunun台灣原住民藝術田野筆記 Taiwan Aboriginal Art : Field Study台灣先住民腳印 The culture & legend about ten

minority tribes