Atayal people
Tayal, Tayan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Total population | |
| 94,425 (2022,Nov) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Taiwan | |
| Languages | |
| Atayal, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Yilan Creole Japanese | |
| Religion | |
| Animism, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Seediq, Truku, Kavalan, Taiwanese Aborigines |
The Atayal (Chinese: 泰雅; pinyin: Tàiyǎ), also known as the Tayal and the Tayan,[1] are a Taiwanese indigenous people. The Atayal people number around 90,000, approximately 15.9% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the third-largest indigenous group.[2][3] The preferred endonym is "Tayal"[citation needed], although official English translations of documents supplied by the Taiwanese government name them as "Atayal".[4]
Etymology
[edit]The Atayal word for Atayal is tayal, meaning "human" or "man".[5] The word the people use to refer to themselves is Tayal, almost never Atayal.
Origins
[edit]
The first record of Atayal inhabitance is found near the upper reaches of the Zhuoshui River. During the late 17th century, they crossed the Central Mountain Ranges into the wilderness of the east. They then settled in the Liwu River valley. Seventy-nine Atayal villages can be found here. [citation needed]
Genetics
[edit]Taiwan has been home to a number of Austronesian indigenous groups since before 4,000 BC.[6] However, genetic analysis suggests that the different peoples may have different ancestral source populations originating in mainland Asia, and developed in isolation from each other. The Atayal people are believed to have migrated to Taiwan from Southern China or Southeast Asia.[7] Genetic studies have also found similarities between the Atayal and other people in the Philippines and Thailand, and to a lesser extent with south China and Vietnam.[8] The Atayal are genetically distinct from the Amis people, who are the largest indigenous group in Taiwan, as well as from the Han people, suggesting little mingling between these people.[9] Studies on Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms suggest ancient migrations of two lineages of the various peoples into Taiwan approximately 11,000–26,000 years ago.[10]
Recent DNA studies show that the Lapita people and modern Polynesians have a common ancestry with the Atayal and the Kankanaey people of the northern Philippines.[11]
The Atayal are visibly different from the Han Chinese of Taiwan.[12]
Folklore
[edit]According to stories told by their elders, the first Atayal ancestors appeared when a stone, Pinspkan, cracked apart. There were three people, but one decided to go back into the stone. One man and one woman who lived together for a very long time and loved each other very much. But the boy was shy and wouldn't dare approach her. Whereupon, the girl came up with an idea. She left her home and found some coal with which to blacken her face so she could pose as a different girl.
After several days, she crept back into their home and the boy mistook her for another girl and they lived happily together. Not long after, the couple bore children, fulfilling their mission of procreating the next generation. The Atayal custom of face tattooing may have come from the girl blackening her face in the story.
Culture
[edit]Lifestyle
[edit]
The Tayal people have maintained their traditions and cultures for a thousand years. They are traditionally self-sufficient through fishing, hunting, gathering and farming through slash and burn. Responsibilities are allocated based on gender, which male is responsible for hunting, net-knotting; female, on the other hand, takes up the role of weaving. Tayal people also adheres to strict gender roles, with men practicing hunting and women practicing weaving. They also have culturally specific musical instruments and dances.
The Atayal were known as skilled warriors. In a practice illegal since the Japanese Colonial Era (1895–1945), for a man to earn his facial tattoo, he had to bring back at least one human head; these heads, or skulls, were highly honored, given food and drink, and expected to bring good harvests to the fields. (See Headhunting.) The Atayal are also known for the case of the Wushe Incident, in which the Atayal participated in an uprising against colonial Japanese forces.
The Lalaw Behuw, a type of long knife, was a weapon used by the Atayals.[13][14][15]
Traditional Beliefs
[edit]The concept of Gaga is fundamental to Tayal society. Gaga functioned as a way of living and an unwritten set of rules that governs all aspects of life. Passed down through generations, gaga emphasizes morality, harmony, and mutual respect within the community.
Roles and Enforcement
[edit]- Leader and elders are the custodians of gaga, interpreting and enforcing its principles while ensuring its continuity. Their role is critical, as they provide guidance and serve as mediators in community disputes.
- Gaga dictates appropriate behavior in marriage, community interactions, rituals, and even hunting practices. It establishes expectations that promote social harmony and prevent conflicts.
Cultural Importance
- Adhering to gaga ensures social cohesion and the preservation of Tayal traditions. It fosters a sense of belonging and identity among community members. Violations of these norms could result in ostracism or exclusion from important ceremonies, highlighting its significance in maintaining order. Such consequences serve as deterrent against behaviour that could disrupt social harmony.
- The influence of previous generations is also reflected in Tayal naming systems, where a newborn is named after their father, or their mother (if father has passed away). For instance, the father named “Yukan Dayung” has a kid called “Yumin”, the full name of the kid will be “Yumin Yukan”. The next generation will take on the first name of their father, so on and so forth. It reflected the significance of seniority in Tayal culture, constantly reminding the future generations through their names. [16]
Traditional Beliefs in modern times
After the Japanese expulsion of Tayal from the hills, the tribe gradually incorporated modern lifestyle and values into their daily practices. Gender roles have gradually spaced out, diminishing the boundaries between genders. People in the tribe has also taken up roles in the government and academia after receiving education. Education has also provided a medium for Tayal tribe to document their culture and educate future generations more effectively.
Traditional Tayal houses are rectangular structures, typically built using multiple layers for the roof, including bamboo, bark, stone, wood, and thatch. This multilayered roofing system provides insulation and protection against the elements. With the Tayal population widely distributed across Taiwan, their houses vary in style. One common type is the half-underground house, especially found in Nantou County, Yilan County, and Taichung County. In the Nan’ao community, family houses are built using bamboo, rocks, rattan, and wood. These houses are dug downwards from the base, with half of the structure located below the ground, providing natural insulation. The length of a Nan’ao-style family house is usually the arm span of three adults, while the width is the arm span of two adults.
The roofs of Atayal houses in Nan'ao Township are typically made of bamboo and cypress bark as the base, paved with stone slabs, and secured with wooden strips. These houses also feature windows on three sides for ventilation and lighting. However, the windows are usually only half-open to prevent enemy attacks. Additionally, steps leading into the house are flanked by bamboo screens to provide protection against spear attacks.
Interior Layout
[edit]The interior of Tayal houses usually consists of earthen floors, with beds raised on stilts to prevent moisture and pests. In the case of half-underground houses, four beds are placed in the four corners of the room. Two small beds, hanging upside down on the ceiling on the left and right sides, serve as beds for the ancestors' spirits. These ancestral beds also function as storage areas, called "gaga." The storage on the left contains men's hunting tools, while the storage on the right holds women's weaving materials.
For cooking and heating, Tayal houses incorporate stoves into the living space. In half-underground houses, there are typically two three-stone stoves, used both for warmth and meal preparation. The layout of these houses follows a distinct division, with separate spaces designated for men and women. This division extends to storage, ensuring that each gender has a designated area for their tools and materials—hunting equipment for men and weaving tools for women.
Gender Roles and Restrictions
[edit]Strict gender roles are adhered to within Tayal culture. Men are not permitted to touch women's weaving tools, while women are forbidden from handling men's hunting tools, such as guns and bows. This separation is deeply rooted in cultural beliefs, as each gender has its own designated role within the Tayal household. Crossing these boundaries is believed to bring misfortune.
Community Pavilion (Pslyan)
[edit]In addition to residential structures, the Tayal tribe also constructs community pavilions, known as Pslyan. These structures were initially developed for discussions and negotiations during Japanese colonial rule, with Japanese authorities involved in tribal management. In later times, these pavilions became gathering spaces where tribal elders and community members convene to discuss governance, cultural rituals, and conflict resolution.
Structure and Use
[edit]Community pavilions are situated in open spaces and are typically larger than individual houses, designed to accommodate a large number of people. Featuring a rectangular layout, these pavilions often include a central fire pit for warmth and cooking during gatherings. The open design facilitates air circulation and encourages social interaction. Similar to residential houses, the pavilions are constructed using sustainable materials like bamboo and wood, reflecting the Tayal tribe's deep connection to their environment.
Instructed by customs and guidance by elders, Tayal men are trained to hunt since a young age. Common prey included wild boars, Reeves’s muntjac, and goats. Historically, headhunting enemies was a common practice in order to protect the tribe, gaining face tattoos and taking revenge. Nature has played a large role in Tayal community; therefore, their indigenous knowledge system is centered around the tribe’s respect and feedback and return. As a result, hunters are taught not to overhunt, deforest, and hunt younger animals. Longstanding gender roles also forbid women’s participation in hunting or touching men’s hunting tools, with the curse of hunters will return empty-handed, facing danger or bad luck during hunting. Hunting knives are unique to each hunter, which will be buried with the hunter when he passes away and shall not be inherited by younger hunters. Group hunting practices should abide by the leader’s order, reflecting Tayal hunters’ adherence to tradition and respect towards the elders’ experience. [17]
Being a hunter does not merely mean possessing the ability to hunt, but also having a strong sense of direction, understanding of mountain ecology, awareness towards natural surroundings to navigate around and the skill of flawless trap-setting.
Traditional dress
[edit]
The Atayal are proficient weavers, incorporating symbolic patterns and designs on their traditional dress. The features are mainly of geometric style, and the colors are bright and dazzling. Most of the designs are argyles and horizontal lines. In Atayal culture, the horizontal lines represent the rainbow bridge which leads the dead to where the ancestors' spirits live. Argyles, on the other hand, represent ancestors' eyes protecting the Atayal. The favorite color of this culture is red because it represents blood and power.
Possessing the skill of weaving is essential for every woman in the Tayal tribe. Weaving threads are produced from ramie (Kgi), where the plant is shredded, pestle and knitted into smooth threads (Nuka). The threads are then cleaned by broiling. Tapioca roots and Shoulang yams are used for coloring threads to red ochre color.
Tayal people loom on the ground with a unique warping frame. The basic structure of the warping frame includes a base and 3 pillars. A weaving box placed on the ground is used for storing wrapped threads for backstrap loom.
Geometrical patterns such as diamonds and parallel lines are commonly seen in Tayal woven accessories. The diamond shape symbolizes the eye of ancestors, which symbolizes ancestors’ protection and blessings in Tayal’s culture. The parallel lines represent a rainbow bridge crossed by spirits of face-tattooed Tayal hunters and weavers in their afterlife to reunite with their ancestors (rutux).
Lukkus-kaxa, is a valuable clothing for tribe leaders, warriors and weavers who are able to produce them. They are made by knitting thousands to millions of tiny beads from giant clams (tridacninae) onto garments. As shell beads are precious in Tayal culture, Lukkus-kaxa is an ancient form of currency, a family heirloom, as well as a gift for engagement and compensation in conflicts.
Facial tattoos
[edit]
The Atayal people are also known for using facial tattooing and teeth filing in coming-of-age initiation rituals. The facial tattoo, in Squliq Tayal, is called ptasan. In the past both men and women had to show that they had performed a major task associated with adulthood before their faces could be tattooed. For a man, he had to take the head of an enemy, showing his valor as a hunter to protect and provide for his people, while women had to be able to weave cloth. A girl would learn to weave when she was about ten or twelve, and she had to master the skill in order to earn her tattoo. Only those with tattoos could marry, and, after death, only those with tattoos could cross the hongu utux, or spirit bridge (the rainbow) to the hereafter.
Eligibility
[edit]Only those who adhered to strict moral standards, such as abstaining from extramarital or pre-marital sexual relationships, were eligible for facial tattoos. The complexity of the tattoos reflected an individual’s abilities—hunters who demonstrated exceptional skill in providing for the tribe and weavers who mastered intricate designs were honored with elaborate tattoos.
Male tattooing is relatively simple, with only two bands down the forehead and chin. Once a male came of age he would have his forehead tattooed; after fathering a child, his bottom chin was tattooed. For female, tattooing was done on the cheek, typically from the ears across both cheeks to the lips forming a V shape. While tattooing on a man is relatively quick, on a female it may take up to ten hours.[7]Tattooing was performed only by female tattooists. The tattooing was performed using a group of needles lashed to a stick called atok tapped into the skin using a hammer called totsin. Black ash would then be rubbed into the skin to create the tattoo. Healing could take up to a month.[7]
Cultural Importance
[edit]Tattoos symbolized adulthood, purity, connection with ancestors, and represented skill recognition of elders. For women, tattoos often indicated their readiness for marriage and their proficiency in weaving, while for men, it highlighted their bravery and achievements in hunting. The absence of face tattoos obstructs both men and women to marriage, which leads to crowding out by the tribe.
The Japanese banned the practice of tattooing in 1930 because of its association with headhunting. Still, face tattoos remained as a powerful emblem of Atayal identity and pride.[20] With the introduction of Christianity, the practice further declined, and tattoos were only seen on the elderly. However, some young people in recent years have attempted to revive the practice.[7] By 2018 only one tattooed elder survived, Lawa Piheg, who was tattooed when she was 8.[21] Lawa Piheg died on 14 September 2019.[22][23]
Rattan and bamboo weaving
[edit]
The Atayal weave bamboo and rattan items such as kiri', qbun, tokan, bluku', and gitu'. These are for women's use when harvesting crops or transporting goods, and have a large capacity. The best bamboo material to use is fresh bamboo from March to April, when the bamboo shoots have just fallen off the bamboo shoots and the leaves have just begun to grow. To make a medium-sized round skip, for example, the bamboo is first cut with a small knife (buli') into about 350 gabions (rruma') about 2 feet 5 inches long, then the gabions are woven horizontally and vertically into a large quadrilateral shape, the edges are trimmed to a rounded shape, and the edges are finally closed with a yellow rattan (qwayux). [24]
The qbubu' (rattan hat) is worn by men when they go out to protect their heads, but it also serves as an aesthetic and identity statement. The most common form of the qbubu' is the rimless bowl, occasionally with an attached brim. Hunters covered their hats with animal skins or teeth, and successful headhunters sewed a white circular shell plate called a mayon in the center of the forehead of their hats.
Net-knotting and woodwork
Net-knotting and woodwork is another essential skill of Tayal people. Baskets and sieves are knitted from bamboo rattans to carry hunting equipment and harvests, and their size varies by functions. Rattan caps (qbubu’) are worn by men during outdoor activities, such as hunting. The strong structure from knitted rattan could protect the head from tree branches. It also serves as a presentation of identity and skills, that hunters would decorate their cap with animals’ fur to portray their hunting gains.
As daggers and swords shall not be touched by women and is exclusive to the owner himself, they are strictly produced by men. Woodwork is essential to daily life, since Tayal sheaths and furniture are mainly produced from wood.
Atayal in modern times
[edit]
The Atayal people in Taiwan live in central and northern Taiwan. The northernmost village is in Ulay District (Wulai in Chinese), about 25 kilometers south of Taipei. The Atayal Tribe The community of Smangus in Jianshi Township had become well known as a tourist destination, and an experiment in communalism.[25]
Many Atayal are bilingual, but the Atayal language still remains in active use.
Notable Atayal people
[edit]- Esther Huang, actress and singer
- Jane Huang, singer of rock duo Y2J
- Joanne Tseng, actress and member of pop duo Sweety
- Kao Chin Su-mei, actress, singer and politician
- Laha Mebow, director, screenwriter, TV producer
- Landy Wen, singer
- Lo Chih-an, football player
- Lo Chih-en, football player
- Payen Talu, member of Legislative Yuan (1996–2002)
- Vic Chou, actor and member of pop group F4
- Vivian Hsu, actress
- Walis Nokan, writer.
- Yuming Lai, singer of rock duo Y2J
- Yeh Shuhua, singer of K-pop group (G)I-DLE - Half Tayal on maternal side
- Jerry Yan,actor and member of pop group F4
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Atayal". Digital Museum of Taiwan Indigenous Peoples. Archived from the original on 13 August 2012.
- ^ Hsieh, Chia-chen; Wu, Jeffrey (15 February 2014). "Amis Remains Taiwan's Biggest Aboriginal Tribe at 37.1% of Total". Focus Taiwan News Channel. Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015.
- ^ Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. (DGBAS). National Statistics, Republic of China (Taiwan). Preliminary statistical analysis report of 2000 Population and Housing Census Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine. Excerpted from Table 28:Indigenous population distribution in Taiwan-Fukien Area. Accessed PM 8/30/06
- ^ The Indigenous Peoples Basic Law (2). Legislative Yuan. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Tayal". Yuán zhù mínzú yǔyán xiànshàng cídiǎn 原住民族語言線上詞典 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Yuan zhu minzu weiyuanhui. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ Ruhlen, Merritt (1994). The Origin of Language: Tracing the Origin of the Mother Tongue. New York: Wiley. pp. 177–180.
- ^ a b c d DeMello, Margo (2014). Inked: Tattoos and Body Art around the World. ABC-Clio. pp. 34–36. ISBN 978-1610690751.
- ^ Chen, K. H.; Cann, H.; Chen, T. C.; Van West, B.; Cavalli-Sforza, L. (1985). "Genetic markers of an aboriginal Taiwanese population". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 66 (3): 327–337. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330660310. PMID 3857010.
- ^ Chow, Rachel A.; Caeiro, Jose L.; Chen, Shu-Juo; Garcia-Bertrand, Ralph L.; Herrera, Rene J. (2005). "Genetic Characterization of Four Austronesian-Speaking Populations" (PDF). Journal of Human Genetics. 50 (11): 550–559. doi:10.1007/s10038-005-0294-0. PMID 16208426. S2CID 24730332.
- ^ Tajima, A.; Sun, C. S.; Pan, I. H.; Ishida, T.; Saitou, N.; Horai, S. (2003). "Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms in Nine Aboriginal Groups of Taiwan: Implications for the Population History of Aboriginal Taiwanese". Human Genetics. 113 (1): 24–33. doi:10.1007/s00439-003-0945-1. PMID 12687351. S2CID 6772237.
- ^ Gibbons, Ann (3 October 2016). "'Game-Changing' Study Suggests First Polynesians Voyaged All the Way from East Asia". Science. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ Dudding, Adam (15 March 2015). "New Zealand's Long-Lost Taiwanese Cuzzies". Stuff Destinations. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ Cheng, Kwang-po 鄭光博. "Dàkēkàn xī liúyù tàiyǎ zú Lmuhuw wénběn fēnxī" 大嵙崁溪流域泰雅族 Lmuhuw 文本分析 [An Analysis of Lmuhuw Texts of the Tayal Tribe in the Dakekan River Basin] (PDF) (in Chinese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2016.
- ^ Cheng, Kwang-po 鄭光博 (2006). "Chapter 4" (PDF). Sm'inu puqing kinhulan na Tayal: Cóng zǔ yuán guānniàn zhēng yìlùn dāngdài 'tàiyǎ zú'lìshǐ jìyì de jiàn Sm’inu puqing kinhulan na Tayal─從祖源觀念爭議論當代「泰雅族」歷史記憶的建 (Master's thesis) (in Chinese). Guoli zhengzhi daxue minzu xue yanjiu suo. p. 8.
"Yǎměi yǔ" 雅美語 (in Chinese) – via Yuan zhu minzu weiyuanhui.
"Fān dāo" 番刀. Flickriver (in Chinese). - ^ "Tóng ménshān dāo jiē bǎinián chuíliàn" 銅門山刀街 百年錘鍊. Píngguǒ Rìbào (in Chinese). 10 May 2007. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016.
- ^ Hung, Jui-Hsuan; Shen, Jr-Yan; Hsieh, Chuan-Chung (1 February 2025). "Identity Leadership and Atayal Gaga: A case study of an Indigenous experimental school". Teaching and Teacher Education. 154: 104849. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2024.104849. ISSN 0742-051X.
- ^ a b Yuen-Schat, Chuei-Ming (1994). Capturing the essence : designing a cultural center for the coastal and mountain peoples of Taiwan (Thesis thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- ^ "台灣原住民_泰雅族". tmrc.tiec.tp.edu.tw. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "台灣原住民_泰雅族". tmrc.tiec.tp.edu.tw. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Lost Treasures: Taiwan's Atayal Facial Tattoos | Cultural Survival". www.culturalsurvival.org. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "My Face Was Tattooed when I Was Eight". BBC News (Video). 25 September 2018. – Interview with last tattooed person, with historical photographs of instruments, tattooed people, etc.
- ^ Lu, Kang-chun; Kuan, Jui-pin; Chung, Yu-chen (14 September 2019). "Last Atayal Woman with Facial Tattoos Dies at 97". Focus Taiwan News Channel. Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ Tsai, Chang-sheng; Chung, Jake (15 September 2019). "Last Atayal with a Traditional Tattoo Dies". Taipei Times. p. 2. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ 簡, 雲生 (2007). 泰雅傳統文物誌.
- ^ Woodworth, Max (10 August 2003). "Returning to the Land of the Ancestors". Taipei Times. p. 17. Retrieved 21 October 2006.
| Han Chinese | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnic minorities |
| ||||||||||
| Immigrants and expatriates |
| ||||||||||
| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
