V. TK Protection in Taiwan
1.2 Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and indigenous culture
Indigenous peoples in Taiwan are of the group of Austronesian peoples.27, 28 During the 18th and 19th centuries, when Western countries reached the heights of their power at navigating the high seas by ship, Western explorers discovered many coral islands and island groups in the Austronesian area. Scholars refer to these islands as “the Southern Island Groups.” Because of similarities in the languages
27 Mabuchi, T. (馬淵東一) 1998 Taiwan indigenous people. In (Ying-Gui Huang ed.) The Thesis Collection of Taiwan Indigenous People’s Society and Culture. Linking Publishing Co., Taipei.
p. 47.
28 Huang, Y.G. (黃應貴) 1998 Two society pattern and its meaning of Taiwan indigenous tribes.
In (Ying-Gui Huang ed.) The Thesis Collection of Taiwan Indigenous People’s Society and Culture. Linking Publishing Co., Taipei. p. 3.
among these peoples, scholars refer to these peoples in this area as the Austronesian peoples. The Austronesian area stretches from Easter Island in the East to Madagascar (on Eastern coast of Africa) in the West, and from Taiwan in the North to the area29 between New Zealand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, etc., (but excluding Australia) in the South. The Austronesian peoples have a population of over two billion people around the world. The geographical distribution of this nation is broad, covering two thirds of the earth, and the people are generally island people. The Austronesian languages are different as well, with approximately one thousand Austronesian languages. This makes up approximately one sixth of the world’s languages. Approximately three billion people inhabit this area. Taiwan has about 448,000 Austronesian people.30 These are Taiwan’s indigenous people.
Taiwan’s written records of its indigenous peoples’ history began approximately three centuries ago, mainly during the period of the Dutch rule. Thus, the history of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples prior to this time was “prehistoric.” From where did the indigenous peoples in Taiwan originate? No consistent answer exists at this time.31
Some scholars believe Taiwan’s indigenous peoples originated in the area surrounding the Philippines, Borneo, and Eastern Indonesia, and that these peoples migrated North to Taiwan. This theory is the “Originating from the South” theory.32 Other scholars believe that Taiwan itself is the origin of the Austronesian peoples.
Still other scholars believe that Taiwan’s indigenous peoples migrated from Southeastern Coast of China to Taiwan, or the “Originating from the Mainland Chinese Continent” theory.33
Taiwan has 12 tribes of indigenous peoples. From North to South are the following tribes: Kavalan, Atayal, Truku, Saysiyat, Bunun, Thao, Tsou, Ami, Rukai, Puyuma, Tao (Yami), and Paiwan. Most of the tribes settled on both sides of the Central Mountain, such as the Atayal, Truku, Saysiyat, Bunun, Thao, Tsou, Rukai, and Paiwan. The Kavalan, Ami, Puyuma, and Tao settled on the coast or plains. Prior to
29 Jian, H.C. (簡後聰) 2003 Taiwan History. Wu Nan Publ., Taipei. p.70.
30 See at http://www.apc.gov.tw/official/.
31 Lee, G. G. (李壬癸) 1999 History of Taiwan Indigenous People: Language. The Historical Research Commission of Taiwan Province, Taichung.
32 Id.
33 Id.
the creation of Taiwan’s modern communication and transportation infrastructure, most tribes did not communicate with each other due to great distances and inconvenient transportation.
1.2.1 Special Characteristics 1.2.1.1 Oral Transmission
In indigenous peoples’ gatherings, the elder of the tribe often tells tribal tradition to successive generations, while noting the factual reliability of this oral transmission. People use language to communicate. Oral transmission plays and important role in passing on tribal culture, cultural restrictions, and tribal knowledge.
Tribes can pass down, by oral transmission, folk tales, history, experiences, and TK.
1.2.1.2 Closed Societies
Over 4 centuries ago, Taiwan had many tribes. These tribes shared culture, wisdom, and experiences with other tribes. These tribes lived in harmony with the land and its characteristics, and adapted to its conditions and its life forms. Each tribe had its specific domain and territory, and restricted others from entering. Moreover, each tribe had its own social system, such as certain clans of the Tsou and Bunun, the chieftain or aristocrat social classes of the Rukai and Paiwan, the matriarchal society and youth office system of the Puyuma and Ami, and the fishing group system of the Tao.
1.2.1.3 Primitive Lifestyles
In the past, Taiwan’s indigenous peoples spent a great deal of time migrating and searching for locations to develop a tribe. Each tribe considered its agriculture, hunting, and fishing needs, in order to create a life in which the tribe could coexist with the land, mountains, and rivers. In agriculture, the indigenous peoples used lading, rotation, and fallow techniques to maintain a balance with the environment, to make the most efficient use of the land. The indigenous peoples cultivated basic staples, such as millet, taro, sweet potato, and rice in a traditional way, despite the hardships of the environment, to supply food to the people.
Hunting demonstrates the intellectual nature of the indigenous peoples. The Tsou and Bunun have a technique for making leather; the Ami and Atayal have a technique for preserving meat or fish. Hunting has significance beyond providing food. Hunting also has significance in rites and ceremonies, whether or not religious,
and hunting helps to stabilize the relationships in the tribe. After a successful hunt, a hunter distributes the take in a certain order to everyone in the tribe, not just to the hunter’s family, and everyone must follow this order.
1.2.1.4 Living in Harmony with Nature
Indigenous peoples have humble and thankful attitudes toward nature. In every aspect, indigenous peoples try to coexist with nature and learn from nature.
Tribes located in high mountainous regions follow basic hunting rules,34 showing taboos and rules for that specific region. For example, paths connecting to the outside will definitely follow the terrain. The tribes will not destroy the environment for convenience but make the best of the environment. On the other hand, as for exalting the power of nature, the indigenous peoples show how the behavior of human beings pleases or displeases the spirits, to teach tribesmen about the changes of nature and to regulate the behavior of the tribesmen.
However, due to the asymmetry of power of the invaders and cross-cultural contacts over the past 400 years, Taiwan has witnessed the destruction of the TK of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and of their social structures that had endured for thousands of years. For example, people have abandoned ecologically sound agricultural practices such as slash-and-burn cultivation. Modern agricultural technologies and powerful agricultural machines in the mountainous areas is one of the reasons why severe landslides occur very frequently in recent years in the areas where indigenous peoples live.