Passing the Baton: What to Do in the Water?

There’s a taboo in indigenous hunting — you can’t decide beforehand what to hunt and how much to take. Resources are a gift from nature; there isn’t an endless supply for us humans to use. Oceans and rivers provide a rich source of food and nutrients. We have a saying, “the ocean is our refrigerator.” But hold on a minute. When I go to the water, down to the fridge to get some food, why do I find flyers, garbage, and so many tourists? I haven’t thought about what food I will take, but this isn’t the ocean I used to know.

According to a Tao legend, several Tao people went searching for food along the coast and accidentally discovered a winged fish, never before seen. After catching the fish, they cooked it with other fishes and shellfish, and upon consumption, sores began developing on their skin. The Black-winged Flying Fish King later appeared in the dream of an elder in this community and told him the cause of the sores and how to prevent them...

The earliest literature documenting Orchid Island is the Account of the Eastern and Western Oceans by Zhang Xie in the Ming Dynasty, in which he referred to Orchid Island as “Hong Dou Islet”. In 1988, Hengchun County magistrate Chou Yu-Chi included Orchid Island, then named “Hong Tou Islet”, as part of the Qing Dynasty territory, under Hengchun County. This was the official inclusion of Orchid Island in national territory, marking the beginning of colonization in Orchid Island...

Swirling ocean surrounding beautiful islands, the Tao is not the only indigenous people in Taiwan with a marine culture, the Pangcah, Kavalan, and Pinuyumayan all live alongside the ocean, and intimate connections with the ocean can be observed in their legends, diet, song, and dance, each with their individual unique Sea Ritual traditions....

Born to a poor family, Chang Jen-Chieh, the Atayal hunter and founder of Wulai Hunter school, followed his schoolteacher to hunt and fish in the mountains as a child, exchanging his kill for rice and money to help support his family. Now, as an adult, he turns the hunting and survival skills he has acquired since childhood into curriculum knowledge to pass it on to a wide range of people.

Tanaiku is the traditional fishing ground of the Saviki Community. The stream is the mother river that feeds and brings closer the relationship within the community. An Li-Hua says, “whether it's limiting access to the river to protect the fish, developing a tourism industry, or rebuilding after the disaster, everything we do is to make sure that our people can stay and live on our own lands.”

Although the traditions of indigenous peoples seem to be fading, present hunters still bring millet wine as an offering to the ancestral spirits when they go on their hunts. This ritual is a way of notifying the spirits that the hunters will be hunting for food here. Culture is the way of life, and bits and pieces of tradition can still be found in the daily lives of indigenous peoples.

We watch the ocean every day. We see the waves, the tides. . . and now oceanfront hotels that boast great views. We find the sea has changed. We hear her cry. We decide to do something, in the water. What do you want when you go to the sea? The rush of adrenaline from fighting the waves? The comfort of wandering the beach? Or the tranquility and surprise of diving the ocean’s depths? What do I want when I go to the sea? Nothing. I don’t want to gain anything. I just want to hold on to something.

27 years have passed and the young man who rode his bike all the way from Taipei to ‘Atolan now has already become a member of the indigenous age stratum that actively engages in community affairs. He documented and preserved indigenous culture, and promoted community autonomy and branding. Futuru set his mind to carving out a better future for the cultural continuity of his community which enthralled him years ago.

952 VAZAY TAMO, an Orchid Island based youth magazine founded by six young girls, flaunts bold and bright design alongside with diverse and interesting content. Readers would find cultural stories written from a young person’s perspective, opening up a window that gives people a glimpse of the young minds of Orchid Island.

lulay inam (Lin Si-Long), a young man who could not speak his indigenous language and had only a vague impression of his identity, later went on to establish a Youth Club and reestablished his relationship with the ocean by actually diving into the waters. Through the process of learning his people’s language, lulay gradually learned more about himself and aspires to become the bridge between the older and younger generations. He hopes future generations can proudly identify themselves as “Kavalan”.

A young indigenous couple moves to Taitung’s Tomiyac Community to conduct field research for their theses. They spend a year befriending and establishing relationships with local elders who now treat them as if they were their own children. The couple chooses to stay and settle down with the ideals of preserving and passing on the village’s unique culture by keeping a record of local life.