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 Truku

Myth, Dance and Music

Generally speaking, a song and lyrics are not treated separately in the music of the indigenous peoples. So when the elders of the Truku tribe instruct the young people in singing, the melody and the words are always taught together, rather than practicing one first and then adding the other.

Traditionally, Truku dance is dominated by the female members of the tribe. The women’s dances are a relaxed, spontaneous affair. The participants are humming improvised melodies as they slowly gather momentum, performing in an impromptu fashion. Male dancers may also be involved, but the male steps are much less complex, featuring only simple back and forth or side to side moves. The male performance mostly serves just as an accompaniment to the women’s dance.

Occasions for Song and Dance:

The Truku are fond of dancing and singing together, especially on the following occasions:

• Annual festivals and rites, such as the Ancestor Rite, the Sowing Festival, or the Harvest Celebrations.
• Weddings.
• Assembly of the young men and women at the lookout tower

Meaning of Truku Songs:

Songs and ballads form an important part of all Truku festivities and celebrations. But they have broader functions and significance than serving for entertainment alone:

• When the whole tribe sings together, the ties between the various clans and families are strengthened; this promotes harmony and cooperation within the community.
• Exhilarating song and dance, featuring lots of skipping and bounding steps, allow the tribespeople to express their deepest emotions in a sublimated manner.
• Traditional songs and ballads keep alive the tribe’s ancient warrior spirit.
• Some songs are prayers asking the ancestors and other spirits to bestow their blessings and protection on the tribe. These songs, having a more strictly ritual function, are generally less lively and more profound, as befits their religious purpose.
• Most aboriginal societies did not develop a writing system, but speech, language, song and dance all developed simultaneously.