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 ...
The following story about the origins of the art of weaving is told among the Saisiat:
A long time ago, a group of Saisiats had gone into the mountains to go hunting. As they were climbing, a dragon woman, in full ceremonial dress complete with a fine headdress, rose from the depths of the sea to secretly prepare meals for them. As she was cooking, she was discovered by a member of the Saisiat group, to whom she explained that she had come at her father’s behest. Now there was a young man among that group of Saisiats, and the elders decided that they wanted him and the dragon woman to become a couple. So they married, and not long afterwards the dragon woman took her husband and close relatives, ten people in all, back to her parents’ place deep in the ocean for the obligatory visit to the in-laws. When the Saisiat saw all the multitude of things in the bride’s home, they were deeply impressed. Even the walls were adorned with dazzlingly beautiful woven carpets and embroideries. After returning to their homes in the mountains, they asked the dragon woman to teach the art of weaving to the tribe’s womenfolk, which she agreed to without hesitation. From then on, more and more of the Saisiat acquired the skill of weaving. Before long, the dragon woman had taught a whole generation of weavers, who in turn passed on their knowledge to a second generation. But as the dragon woman soon discovered, her first-generation students didn’t teach all their knowledge and skills to the next generation, and she therefore took it upon herself to instruct the junior students. She also held a weaving contest, and quite unexpectedly the junior students beat the first generation of weavers. The senior students were not happy about this outcome, and started to spread rumors and lies about the dragon woman. Things turned nasty, and fed up with the constant bickering and gossip, the dragon woman thought, “Since these ungrateful people do not welcome me anymore, I might as well go back to my mother’s place.” And so she did, leaving the Saisiat with the parting words, “After I’m gone, you will never be able to learn anything more again, even if you want to!”