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 ...
Living as they do surrounded by the ocean, both the Taos’ fishing techniques and their boat-building skills are well developed. Since canoes and fishing are so important to their livelihood, it is not surprising that in the course of history, a number of rituals, ceremonies and taboos sprang up around these aspects of Tao life, as well as fishing collectives organized along clan lines. As a result, the Tao have developed a “boat culture” that is unique among all the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, and the design, sturdiness and aesthetic appeal of their canoes (often decorated with elaborate carvings) place them among the great seagoing peoples of the world.
The Tao settlements are built on the very edge of Orchid Island’s primeval forest, and this is where the tribe finds firewood as well as raw materials for building houses and boats, and for making kitchen utensils and other everyday tools and appliances. The canoes are more than a means for fishing: they also symbolize the unity of clans, and ultimately the entire tribe. That is why much time is devoted to decorating them with carvings of various design, including wavy lines, triangular patterns, human figures and spiral patterns, as well as intricate concentric sun patterns featuring wavy circular designs made up of triangular shapes.