Profile of Indigenous Communities
The Rukai (Drekay) people are distributed on both sides of the south of the Central Mountain Range, belonging to three administrative regions: Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, and Taitung County. The Rukai fall into three sub-groups by living environment and by cultural identification: The Eastern Rukai, Western Rukai, and the Lower Three Branches. The Rukai (Drekay) society is characterized by a social class system formed upon a well-defined division of labor and blended with marriage, politics, religion, worshiping, and art.
Social and Cultural Features
The Rukai (Drekay) society consists of different social classes including traditional leaders, nobles, aristocracy, and commoners. Social class status is hereditary, but commoners can gain special privileges, such as the right to wear the lily ornament, through personal achievement (like hunting a long-tusked boar) or paying tribute. The lily is the “Rukai tribal flower,” symbolizing bravery and courage for men, and good character and purity for women. The privilege of utilizing specific carved motifs, including the Hundred Pacer snake, the sun, human heads, and pottery jars, belongs exclusively to traditional leaders, and the wearing of the Mountain Hawk-Eagle feather, reserved solely for the leader, is rigorously forbidden. Architecturally, the Rukai developed slate houses using slate, which offers the benefit of being warm in winter and cool in summer.
Marriage and Kinship
Rukai society is formed by family, with the first son as the successor of both parents’ families, including the family houses and the family name. Rukai people emphasize marriage between families of the same social class, thus“same-class marriage” is acceptable by most Rukai. The traditional leaders’s residence is especially spacious, and the place where the sadrengedrenge (column) is erected is served as the kalatadrane (assembly plaza).
Ceremonies and Rituals
Foxtail millet is the major crop of the Rukai and the center of annual festivals. The Kalabecengane (Millet Ritual) as the most important; it is held after the millet harvest to thank the deities. The Tapakadrawane (Black Rice Ritual) is unique to the Duona Village (Kungadavane) from the Lower Three Branches. Angitalraylraysi (swinging) is popular to the Rukai people. It is an activity often held at weddings or the harvest festival for friendship-making between males and females.
Competition Event and Participants
- Traditional Archery: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (1 Participant) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (1 Participant)
- Traditional Music and Dance: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (15 Participants)
- Log Sawing: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Traditional Tug-of-War: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (20 Participants)
- Traditional Wrestling: Individual Event－Men’s Division 70kg and Above (1 Participant)
- Traditional Road Running: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (2 Participants) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (2 Participants)
- Weight Carrying: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)