🏃 Traditional Road Running 🏃
For indigenous peoples across the world, running is often not merely a sport, but an ability developed through daily life. Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, regardless of whether they reside in the mountains, valleys, coasts, or outlying islands, traverse their familiar territories on foot—from hunting trails and inter-community paths to coastal routes. As they move, they internalize the terrain, pathways, and environmental shifts, integrating the knowledge of the land into their very being.
Internationally, the Navajo (Diné) and Hopi peoples in North America both use long-distance running as part of spiritual training and prayer, maintaining the balance between mind, body, and the land through the act of running. In Hawaii, traditional Kūkini runners were responsible for delivering messages and military intelligence between different land divisions (ahupua‘a), enabling the smooth operation of the society and governance systems of the time. Although the backgrounds vary, the common thread is that running carries an understanding of the homeland, responsibility toward the people, and the transmission of knowledge across generations.
Therefore, on the track of the 2025 World Indigenous Traditional Games, athletes showcase not just competitive skill, but the practical application of their cultures and their enduring ties to the land. Through running, paths from different places can converge, enabling the world to see the shared strength of indigenous peoples that transcends regional boundaries.
#Connecting the World’s Indigenous Peoples
#Let the World See the Strength and Beauty of Indigenous Peoples
December 10–12, 2025
Pingtung County Lai Yi Senior High School • Kaohsiung Lotus Pond Area