Unit 2 Aboriginal Festivals in Taiwan
The aboriginal peoples of Taiwan have a deep and rich history of festivals and ceremonies.
These momentous gatherings see tribes perform rituals for blessings and good luck, in which they sing and dance to ensure their group's unity.
The aboriginal groups of Taiwan have been on the island for at least 15,000 years and number about half a million people.
Each group has its own unique festivals where tribe members bestow blessings upon food, worship the gods, and commemorate ancestors.
The rituals also serve as social settings for members to gather and celebrate their ways of life in nature.
The Harvest Festival of the Amis people, held in and around Taitung and Hualien, is meant to show gratitude to their deity for the reaped crops.
Before rice was introduced to Taiwan, millet was the grain of choice for the Amis, and this festival traditionally aimed to appease the millet god.
Nowadays, the tribe still prays to the deity in hopes that future harvests will be successful.
The Harvest Festival usually lasts approximately seven days.
During their rites, the Amis put on colorful attire and partake in many dances before eating and playing games around campfires.
Young men and women dance and then choose potential partners when women tug on embroidered bags that men wear around their waists.
In addition, the younger males will also dance to impress their elders so that they may stand a chance of becoming the next tribal chief.
Men must complete this rite of passage to be considered adults in the tribe.