Passing the Baton: Approaching the Mountains with Observant Eyes

Notice for Visitors In order to prevent outside visitors from developing stereotypes or misconceptions about the situations of Taiwan’s indigenous groups due to lack of knowledge of indigenous cultures, this month’s Indigenous Sight has invited several outstanding mountain guides and forest experts to introduce the island’s abundant ecological resources, as well as the wisdom of indigenous peoples to coexist with nature. We highly recommend you read the following content in detail because it’s so informative that you don’t want to pass it up. ...

Chung De-Rong began making bows and arrows with his grandfather after his discharge from the military service. Slowly, he shares the steps of bow and arrow making with every detail tied to the wisdom of his ancestors. In this age, when fewer and fewer indigenous persons know how to make bow and arrow, his skill is even more precious.

Mi Mi of the Truku people is one of the few indigenous huntresses with a “hunter certificate” issued by the government. She sees hunting as sacred work combining skills, wisdom, and art, and is dedicated to passing on the glory of hunters.

The forest ranger oversees everything in the mountains. Despite the heavy workload, Chen Mei-Yen, a Pangcah person from Taipei, tends to the forests with energy and passion every day because she sees Hualien as her hometown.

There is a group of people packed with weight, making the difficult journey along the dangerous trails in the mountains. They are the driving force behind many mountaineering dreams fulfilled, and the anonymous heroes assisting academic research and renovations and repairs in the mountains. They have an official title the Mountain Worker, but the public generally call them the Porter.

With part indigenous lineage, Hung Hsin-Chieh, the Plant Hunter, spends his days traveling the forests and mountains alone, just so that every species of flora can be recorded and not lost in time or the environment.

Having spent their entire lives with nature, indigenous peoples developed their own ecological wisdom, allowing them to co-exist with the mountains using their knowledge, be it in response to climate change, animal behavior, or plant use. Considering the fact that supplies in the old days were not as abundant, plant resource applications in our ancestors' lives were critical, and could be discovered everywhere from food, clothing, housing, medicine to religion.

Recent years have seen a growing trend of people taking delight in outdoor activities, particularly hiking and camping. People are often seen to go to the mountains fully equipped, eager to experience the pleasure of getting close to nature. In fact, one doesn’t need to rely on any modern tools or gears to achieve coexistence with nature. All that they need for survival can be sourced from the mountains. Now let’s set off to explore the treasure trove of nature and wisdom left behind by our predecessors!

Things You should Know Before Entering the Mountains In recent years, thanks to the rapid growth of the hiker population in Taiwan, the occurrence of mountain accidents and tragedies has become increasingly frequent. But this should not be used as an excuse to diminish the public’s faith and interest in nature. ...

Talum Suqluman is a member of Bunun people who lives in a traditional indigenous community. One day in 2013, his 90-something-year-old mother wanted to have wild meat. As usual, he took up his hunting rifle and gears and walked into the woods he was familiar with. With the blessing of the mountains, he managed to capture two game animals and on his way back he was stopped by the police waiting in ambush at the foot of the mountain. The operation was not meant for arresting hunters but illegal loggers....

kui tjuzingla experienced setbacks when he came home to revitalize his culture. But learning from and dealing with present realities helps kui transform traditions - while staying true to the community’s sense of spirit and helping its youth find their way.

The land and homes are the spaces where indigenous culture is produced. By restoring traditional houses and cultural spaces, Awi Sapu leads his people in telling stories with confidence, and reclaiming their pride.