Profile of Indigenous Communities
The Paiwan live on both sides of Mount Dawu in the southern Central Mountain Range, covering Pingtung and Taitung counties, from Mount Dawu north to the Hengchun Peninsula south. Based on bloodline customs and ethnic classifications, the Paiwan are categorized into two principal lineages: the Ravar group and the Vuculj group. Paiwan culture is defined by a strict hierarchical system across all social levels. Historically, the Paiwan engaged in trade and communication with external cultures as far back as the Dutch and Qing rule, successfully maintaining a rich and complete indigenous culture.
Social and Cultural Features
Paiwan society has five classes: mazazangiljan, mamazangazang, malata and palakalai, gentry, and commoner. The traditional leader (mazazangiljan) is inherited by the eldest direct descendant and owns the tribe’s land, rivers, and hunting grounds. Mamazangazang and mazazangiljan have the privilege of using totems like human heads, human figures, or the Hundred Pacer snake.
In terms of kinship, the Vuculj group practices primogeniture, where the first-born child in the household inherits the family estate, irrespective of their sex; it is also called a bilineal system. In marriage relationships, commoners who marry nobles will elevate their status and their children’s class.
Arts and Crafts
Paiwan material culture is known for the “Three Paiwan Treasures”:
- Pottery Pots (Reretan): Said to be the source of ancestors’ birth, symbolizing creation.
- Glass Beads (Qata): Legendarily a gift from the gods, each bead has a name and is a precious item in noble collections and wedding dowries.
- Bronze Knives (Tikuzan ni tagaraus): A symbol of authority and strength, it is classified into two types: practical working knives and ceremonial knives.
Moreover, noble Paiwan men excel in both wood and stone carving, frequently employing the Hundred Pacer snake motif and the two-headed snake motif as their primary totems. Traditional houses are built mainly from slate, providing the benefit of being warm in winter and cool in summer.
Ceremonies and Rituals
The Masalut is the most important Paiwan seasonal ritual, carrying the meaning of passing over, surpassing, and crossing a year. Also, the Vuculj group holds the grand Five-Year Ritual (Maljeveq) every five years to welcome ancestral spirits visiting their descendants. The priest throws symbolic qapudrung (representing harvest, health, etc.) during the Five-Year Ritual, which is the festival’s most distinctive activity.
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 (18 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 Below 70kg (1 Participant) /Individual Event－Men’s Division 70kg and Above (1 Participant)
- Net Casting: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Traditional Canoe Racing: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (2 Participants)
- 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)
- Freediving Sprint: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (2 Participants)