Compared to LGBTQ in general, indigenous LGBTQ are more afraid of being seen. Fearless of social opinion, Taiwan Indigenous LGBTQ Alliance (TILA) steps forward courageously, giving many the courage they need. They build a place where “the minority of the minority” can understand and support one another and feel at ease.

“If you can do it, then do it. Male and female are just biological genders. Only you can decide what mindset you bring into the competition.”

On the night of December 15, 2018, a special music festival took place on the playgrounds of the Timur Elementary School in Sandimen Townshjp, Pingtung County. Many adjus walk in heels glamorously dressed. Holding hands, they enjoyed the cozy musical environment, and the freedom to show their true colors in front of families and friends. Organized by Colorful Wi, this is the Adju Music Festival, the first musical event featuring indigenous LGBTIQ in the world.

Traditional rituals are the core of indigenous Taiwan’s culture. In 2006, the government officially designated such events as national holidays. Those who are recognized as indigenous by law are eligible to take a day off during their major events. But is this one-day holiday enough to meet their needs?

On August 8, 2009, Typhoon Morakot devastated Southern Taiwan, with up to 70% of the affected households being indigenous people. The typhoon not only caused the largest composite disaster that Taiwan has suffered in the last century, but also brought about a series of irreversible impacts on the lives of indigenous communities thanks to the permanent housing policy that was immediately launched after the disaster. ...

The 1960s and 1970s saw the rising trend of migration of indigenous people from home villages to urban areas because of ......

The period between July and October every year is very important to indigenous communities, because this is when they conduct their......

The Pazeh legend has it that the people are descended from Maqiyowas, who came come down from heaven to settle and had offspring in the plains of central Taiwan. One day, a flood came and inundated the homeland of the Pazehs. Almost the entire village was killed except for Savung Kaisi and Vana Kaisi, a sister and brother who fled to the mountains and survived the disaster. A few days later, when the flood receded, the couple resettled in Fuluton (today’s Fengyuan in Taichung), got married, and had a daughter and son......

In the past, the paths throughout the Payuwan Community were inter-connected by stairs paved with stone slabs. These paths, surrounded by taro plants, shell gingers, lilies, and marigolds along the way, will finally take one to the highest point of the village—the former site of the elementary school, where the memories of the Payuwan residents are preserved. ...

Wilang’s hunting trail roughly overlaps the first few kilometers of the Nan’ao Historic Trail. But to save time, he usually takes a shortcut down the valley in the direction of another mountain. Having been exploring the mountains since the third grade, Wilang is familiar with the environment and can talk knowledgeably about local flora and fauna and the stories of each landscape. He really is a lifelong soulmate of the mountains and forests in Nan’ao.

It is human nature for people to work with convenient tools. But while in the wilderness, it would be beneficial in helping you stay calm in face of danger if you are equipped with some useful survival skills. The first lesson Akac Orat gave Kuo was how to make chopsticks with a pocket knife. Then he brought her to Mount Madawdaw, the highest peak of the Coastal Range, to learn about the forests and gather the Yellow Rotang Palm. The aim was to familiarize Kuo with the traditional indigenous culture through hands-on experience....

“Easier said than done” is basically cultural revitalization work in a nutshell. When indigenous youths return to their communities, they have to not only adapt to community life, learn their peoples’ cultural knowledge, and figure out how to interact with the local elders, but also come up with cultural preservation and transmission strategies and possibilities in the modern society.