2014-3-30 1 P.M. See you there!

The Next Generation Have Found Their Voice

To preserve and propagate a culture, it take committed individuals

We need more men like Mr. Wang

A manager at a technology company uses his weekends to teach schoolchildren of all ages Atayal ceremonies, dances and language.

Over the past 12 years, Wang Yung-hsiung (王永雄) — an Atayal from Tatung Township’s (大同) Sungluo community in Yilan County — has taught hundreds of students in northern Taiwan.

Having grown up in an Atayal community, Wang is fluent in that Aboriginal language. He moved to Taipei to find work after finishing junior-high school.

When he turned 40, Wang learned the Wade-Giles system for writing romanized Chinese and used the system to help him pass the Atayal language proficiency certification test. He became a registered teacher of the language after taking additional training courses.

“It is very embarrassing to hear others wondering why an Aboriginal cannot speak their own language,” Wang said.

Recognizing that Aboriginal children growing up in the cities lack the environment in which to learn their native language, Wang, who lives in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Xindian District (新店), started driving around Taipei and New Taipei City on weekends to teach Aboriginal children the language.

Wang teaches using games, or by visiting the children’s families to introduce them to Atayal traditions and dances.

He also helped form basketball teams for girls in an effort to bring the people together, he said.

Wang said he had considered tatooing his face — as was customary for an adult Atayal — but his wife talked him out of it.

Wang said his wife initially had also been against his running around so much, complaining that he spent too little time with his family.

“She did not understand at the time,” Wang said.

However, as a compromise, he brought her along to classes on the weekends, he said.

Wang said he encourages his own children to use the Atayal language.

He said that upon his retirement in two years time, he would like to focus all his work on preserving Atayal traditions.

Source: Taipei Times 2014.2.14

A Real-life Taiwan Amis Parallel to the New Zealand Maori Story in the Movie Whale Rider

The movie, Whale Rider, centers around the fictional story of an Austronesian Maori Chief who raises his granddaughter because his son, a fine art sculptor, leaves the troubles of the local Maori village with its fading culture for the big cities of Europe after the death of his wife and son in child-birth. His art is a union of traditional Maori sculpture with ultramodern art. Due to the efforts of the granddaughter to preserve Maori culture and renew the family and village, the son eventually comes back to the village and becomes reconciled with his heritage.

Following is an article by Jerome Keating, author of several books on Taiwan including Island in the Stream: A Quick Case Study of Taiwan's Complex History, Taiwan: The Search for Identity, Taiwan: The Struggles of a Democracy, and The Mapping of Taiwan.

Keating writes of Yosifu, an Austronesia Amis artist from Taiwan who also heads to Europe to make a name for himself through his art. Unlike the fictional character, Yosifu actively promotes his culture and homeland. He also comes back to encourage his community.
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A growing grassroots movement

Arts may be giving more people a reason to volunteer

By Jerome Keating  /  Contributing reporter

Yosifu recently completed a workshop with Amis youth from Taitung County.

Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Cultural & Creative Platform Foundation

Yosifu, a fine arts painter and Amis Aborigine, has just completed an art workshop for some of Taitung’s Aboriginal youth.

“I came back [to Taiwan] and did it because I wanted to give back to my people and help other indigenous artists develop,” he told the Taipei Times.

Yosifu, who lives in Edinburgh, promotes Taiwan’s indigenous culture throughout Europe.

As one of the first Taiwanese Aborigines to achieve international artistic success and recognition, he typifies the need for involvement at the grassroots level.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples and government agencies can set policies and hold conferences such as the recent 2013 International Austronesian Conference, but the level, extent and degree to which policies and actions are carried out often depends more on people at the grassroots level. Fortunately, in Taiwan that level is increasing.

There’s no one event or phenomenon that triggered this recent grassroots surge of involvement, though the increased use and ability of Facebook, YouTube and other social media may be a factor. In addition, art is a common denominator in many of the new grassroots projects.

Elise Tseng (曾珮貞) left a career in the art industry in 2011 to take charge of the Taiwan Cultural & Creative Platform Foundation.

“I saw that despite Taiwan having many artists, [art] had not yet touched and explored its basic base, namely its indigenous people,” Tseng said.

Her foundation sponsors workshops such as the one held by Yosifu. After researching Australian models of promoting indigenous culture, Tseng and the foundation used them to organize art and festivals.

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Book Showing Ancient Austronesian Motifs Used in Contemporary Products

This book can be purchased at the Taiwan Shop across from National Taiwan University in Taipei.

Greatly inspiring story...

A free Taiwan continues to be a nation of innovation.

This from the Taipei Times, October 9, 2013:

"A local biotechnology company in Greater Taichung on Monday said it has developed paper cups that are resistant to high temperatures, acid and alkaline solutions...

...Chang Ching-wen (張靜文), the owner of a paper cup manufacturing company, has conducted research and development on high temperature, acid and alkaline-resistant paper cups.

Since traditional paper cups provide no resistance to high temperatures, acid or alkaline, many people inadvertently consume plasticizer released from the cups when the liquid they contain is too hot, Chang said...

...The cups can be placed in a microwave and are also acid and alkaline-resistant. They are 40 percent lighter than ordinary paper cups and their decomposition rate can exceed 97 percent. Chang said the cup has obtained patents from up to 100 countries and received SGS and US Food and Drug Administration certifications."

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Looks like a good healthy environmentally responsible product. (So different from what you get across the strait.)