Over the next two months, indigenous communities in Taitung County will hold a total of 113 ritual harvest ceremonies and associated festivities, beginning with an event by members of the Bawongwong tribe of the Amis people July 4, Taitung County Government announced.
Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang lauded the harvest ceremony as an excellent tradition that helps maintain the continuity of Amis cultural identity and solidifies ties between older and younger generations, with tribal elders giving directions and their juniors carrying them out. This spirit of learning about and vitalizing traditions should be encouraged, he said.
In recent years the county government has sought business investment in the county, with encouraging results, Huang said, expressing hope that young Amis will return to and find employment in their ancestral homelands.
Huang said in its efforts to nurture cultural pluralism, the county government has promoted tours designed to deepen understanding of indigenous communities. This stimulates employment while promoting transmission of cultural heritage and marketing local businesses’ products and services, he added.
Though Bawongwong comprises just 400 people, it is always the first among Taitung’s indigenous tribal communities to launch harvest ceremony activities. In the days leading up to these events, tribe members who work or study in other parts of Taiwan take time off to return home and renew community ties.
Taitung is home to the greatest number of indigenous people in Taiwan, the county government said, adding that this year’s harvest festival observances in the county will extend to September 9, with related activities in each community lasting from two to eight days.
The county government has also said that, for the 16th consecutive year, Taitung City Hall will sponsor activities in connection with the Makapahay Culture Festival, aimed at introducing the cultures of Taitung’s indigenous peoples. Other large-scale harvest festivities include those of the eastern branch of the Rukai people, to be held July 19-20 in Dongxing Village, and those of the Puyuma people’s Katatipul tribe in Taitung City. (JD)
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