Taiwan Indigenous News
Friday, 20 February 2009
TB Treatment Delays In Taiwan
It should also be noted that the mortality rate and incidence of TB are much greater in aboriginal communities in Taiwan than in non-aboriginal areas. ...
Taiwan's indigenous population up 2.05 percent
MOI officials said the increase was about six times that of the 0.34 percent rate of growth of Taiwan's overall population. Taiwan's indigenous people were ...
Not the same old song and dance
He aims to present a more authentic picture of Aboriginal performing arts and culture. “I want our customers to see the performances in their most original ...
President pushes to boost tourism in Taiwan's indigenous areas
8 (CNA) Concerned over the development of tourism in Taiwan's indigenous areas, President Ma Ying-jeou asked government agencies Sunday to work with travel ...
Long ago, the Bunun people had a special friend who liked to roam about the mountains and make sure that the Bunun hunters never returned to their villages without some prey to show for their efforts. This friend’s appearance was very strange: he had a face both at the front and the back of his head. The front face was very shrewd and clever, always asking all sorts of questions and looking as if it never trusted anybody. The back face, on the other hand, appeared very honest and innocent and always met people with a welcoming smile. One day, the back face discovered that someone armed to the teeth was following them stealthily. So the innocent back face whispered a warning to the front face, “There’s someone sneaking up on us!” The front face turned this way and that, looking in all directions to see who was following them. But no matter how hard the front face looked or shouted, it didn’t see anybody at all. “What’s wrong with you, playing such a stupid joke on me?” But the back face insisted, “I really saw someone sneaking up on us!” The front face decided to let it go at that. With a shake of the head, it decided not to believe the back face. After walking through a forest and up a meandering mountain path, the back face raised its voice for another warning, “Front face, I’m telling you, there’s someone behind us, we have to be careful or they’ll attack!” As before, the front face turned around and looked in all directions without catching sight of even the shadow of a person. Now the front face began to get angry, “Back face…!” “Don’t get mad, I really saw them, but every time you turn around, they just disappear without a trace….” No matter how annoyed the front face’s expression became, the back face continued to describe what it saw in the kindest and most pleasant manner. But the front face simply didn’t believe the back face and warned it in an extremely aggravated voice, “Stop this prank, will you! I won’t turn around anymore, so quit talking nonsense and shut up!” They climbed higher and higher up the mountain, and the back face noticed how surreptitious shades were flitting and scurrying past them, exchanging signals with each other. While the front face was busy keeping quiet, the figures were coming nearer and nearer, each of them armed to the teeth and with a murderous look on their faces. They were no longer going for a surprise attack, but for a full frontal assault. “Front face, they’re really coming at us now, let’s try and hide somewhere….” Its expression wooden, the front face still refused to turn around. Staring straight ahead, it just kept going without looking back. “Aaaahhhh…!” Both faces were lying on the ground, no longer able to hear what the other was saying. After that, the Bunun people never saw their friend with the two faces again.