Taiwan Indigenous News
Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Female head of the national park system seeks to improve parks
... She said she could sense the wisdom of the mountain forests as passed down throughout the ages by Taiwan's indigenous peoples. The ...
Hsieh reveals moves to help indigenous students
... crystal display television to the students at an elementary school in Taitung County and announced more measures to help Taiwan's indigenous children secure ...
Tribe wants official recognition
... "Taiwan's indigenous tribes are all unique minorities in this country, but we are all the original residents of the island. Every ...
There are many taboos among the Kavalan with regard to the trunks of banana trees that have been used in sacrificial rites. The most important one says that one may not step over such a trunk, for otherwise its fibers will tear and can no longer be used for weaving cloth. Another taboo says that a woman who is in the habit of drinking alcohol should first pray to the ancestors before she begins a day’s weaving work.
The Kavalan tribe’s traditional craft of banana fiber weaving, which is also known on the Ryukyu Islands and the Philippines, is a precious cultural heritage that fully displays the manual skills and artistic creativity of Taiwan’s aboriginal peoples. It is an important link to the Kavalans’ past and tradition, and, even more importantly, a cultural totem that may help to keep their distinct tribal identity alive through future generations.