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 ...
Like Taiwan’s other indigenous peoples, the Tsou have a number of rituals and festivals to pray for Heaven’s blessings, hoping that the Gods will grant them good fortune and prosperity and avert evil and disaster. This attitude applies to all aspects of society, from agriculture, war and hunting to architecture, religion and everyday life.
Miyapo: Among the Alishan Tsou (mainly the Tapangu and Tfuya communities), the Miyapo, or Millet Sowing Festival, is traditionally held during the first or second month of the lunar calendar. The word “miyapo” literally means “to plant seeds”. This festival also marks the beginning of the new year, and it is absolutely obligatory that the plowing and sowing only begin after the Miyapo has been held.
Weeding Festival: This festival marks the beginning of the weeding season (millet and rice fields). Customarily, it is held just before the millet begins to blossom.
Homeyaya: This is the Tsou tribe’s Millet Harvest Festival, and the rituals and celebrations on this occasion have more of a family or clan character. It is held every year between July and August, after the millet has been harvested.
Storing Grains Festival: The millet harvest normally takes between five and ten days. Every clan will bring in its own share, dry it in the sun and then put it into storage, which is what this festival celebrates.
Rice Growing Festival: Traditionally, the Tsou cultivated only millet. Rice was introduced from elsewhere much later, giving rise to this relatively new festival that is held separately from the millet-related festivals.
Mayasvi: This is the highlight of the Tsous’ festive calendar. Held every year after the Homeyaya, the site of this festival is the square right outside the men’s gathering place, or Kuba. Today, the Tapangu and Tfuya communities are the center of all Mayasvi celebrations. Mayasvi roughly translates as “Victory Ceremony”.
It is a long-standing tradition that the Tapangu Mayasvi is led and organized by the Wu Clan, while it is the Wang Clan who’s in charge of holding the festival in Tfuya. The Mayasvi celebrations include a variety of rituals and activities, such as sacrifices to the War God, the “Cleaning of the Paths” (Shimotsuynu) to drive out evil and maintain communication with the Gods, the first introduction of boys to the Kuba (men’s gathering place) and the Adulthood Ceremony.