1. And Other Indigenous Peoples
Bunun Tribe
And Other Indigenous Peoples
in Taiwan

2. Overview Motivation and Purpose Taiwan’s Aborigines
Introduction to Bunun Tribe
Aboriginal Activities involved in
Crises Faced by Aboriginal Tribes
Conclusion and Reflections
References

3. Motivation
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.

4. Purpose
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.

5. Jia-Shin, with the name Savi in Bunun Language
Savi won the prizes in the Taipei and island-wide aboriginal language speech contests.

6. Taiwan’s Aborigines

7. Taiwan’s Aborigines
Sedig
Saisiyat
Bunun
Thao
Tsou
Rukai
Paiwan

8. Atayal
Kavalan
Truku
Amis
Sakizaya
Puyuma
Yami

9. Atayal Tribe Population: 83,000 Feature: Facial tattooing
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

10. Truku (Toroka) Tribe In the mountain of Hualien, a subtribe
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.

11. Amis Tribe On the plains, along sea shores, river banks, the
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

12. Sakizaya Tribe In Hualien County villages and urban areas of northern
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

13. Tsou Tribe Population: 6,500 Feature: Mayasvi festival
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

14. Paiwan Tribe Population: 65,000 Feature: Hereditary system
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

15. Rukai Tribe Population: 9000 Feature: Lily head ornament
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

16. Puyuma Tribe Population: 9,600 Feature: Rite and festival
On the plains to the
south of the Taitung
valley
Feature: Rite and festival
Including adulthood
ceremonies, warrior
training and colorful
sophisticated woven
fabrics 

17. Yami Tribe Population: 4,300 Feature: Flying Fish Festival
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.

18. Saisiyat Tribe Feature: Pasta’ai ceremony Population: 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

19. Thao Tribe Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan as an instrument to play
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

20. Kavalan Tribe Population: 1,145 Feature: Tribe ceremonies
Originally in Yilan area and
now in Hualien and Taitung
Feature: Tribe ceremonies
Including victory
celebrations, funerals and
ancestor worship ceremony

21. Sedig Tribe Population: Over 5,000 Mostly in Renai Township of
Nantou County
Feature: Subtribe of Atayal
Became Taiwan’s 14th
officially recognized tribe in
2008

22. Introduction to Bunun Tribe

23. History of Bunun Tribe The last tribes to be "pacified" during the
Known as the Vonum
The last tribes to be "pacified" during the
Japanese rule ( )
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

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

25. The Best-known Feature
Sophisticated polyphonic vocal music,
also called Eight-part Harmonic Singing

26. Unique Polyphonic vocal music
Japanese scholar Kurosawa Takatomo
presented recordings of Bunun music in
Paris in 1943.
It has caught western ethnomusicologists’
attention.

27. Festivals in Culture
Ear and planting Festivals

28. Ear Festival 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.

29. Planting festival
Telling ancestry spirits of the planting and praying for dilas harvest in November and December

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

31. Bunun Tribe Celebrities
Famous pop singers & Golden Song Award Winners

32. Aboriginal Activities involved in

33. Winning the English Singing Contest Held in Taipei City
Savi

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

35. Bunun language Learning
Mihumisang = Hello
Uninang = Thank you
Sumanai = Sorry
Tama = Dad
Tina = Mom

36. Promoting Bunun aboriginal Culture in South Africa
SAVI

37. Crisis Faced by
Aboriginal Tribes

38. Crises Faced by Aboriginal Tribes
Population decreasing and migration
to other locations or urban areas
Mountain regional
exploitation and
development
Sinicized by Han
People in Taiwan

39. Bunun Tribe in Siu-Lang, Hualien
The Village set up aboriginal signs, sculpture poles to preserve Bunun Culture.

40. Flagstone Houses in Bunun Tribe
Flagstone houses preserved in Bunun Villages

41. Conclusion and Reflections
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

42. References I Yahoo: Google Wikipedia: 台灣原住民服飾介紹 順益台灣原住民博物館 行政院原住民委員會
Google
Wikipedia:
台灣原住民服飾介紹
順益台灣原住民博物館
行政院原住民委員會

43. References II 台灣原住民史布農族史篇 台灣原住民藝術田野筆記
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