Profile of Indigenous Communities
The Pinuyumayan people call themselves “puyuma,” a name derived from Pinuyumayan in Beinan Township, Taitung. Located in a multi-ethnic plain, the Pinuyumayan made early contact with outside cultures but still maintained their traditional life and customs. Historically, the name for the Pinuyumayan people was phonetically transcribed into Chinese characters such as “Biaoma” and “Piaoma”. Recently, the Pinuyumayan people have advocated using “Pinuyumayan” as the new tribal name to distinguish it from the village name. The Pinuyumayan have two origin myths: “bamboo-born” (Pinuyumayan tribe centered) and “stone-born” (Zhiben tribe centered). Before the 17th century, the Pinuyumayan were a dominant ethnic group. The legend recounts that during the peak power of the Sakuban, his leadership covered 72 tribes in the eastern part of Taiwan, with influence reaching Yuli in Hualien in the north and Hengchun in Pingtung in the south. Due to their structure of mainly eight communities, the Pinuyumayan were historically known as “eight-tribe indigenous people” during the Japanese rule era. At present, the core population of the group is concentrated in the Taitung City and Beinan Township areas of the Taitung Plain.
Social and Cultural Features
The Pinuyumayan social structure is characterized by a rigorous age-grade system and men’s house system. Males enter the Dakuvan (junior men’s house) for collective training at 12 or 13 years old, enduring rigorous physical and knowledge training until marriage. The men’s communal house is divided into Dakuvan (junior men’s house) and Palakuan (senior men’s house). According to the Pinuyumayan tradition characterized by matrilineality and matrilocality (uxorilocality), the first daughter of the family will inherit the lineal name or family name and family property. Marriage is traditionally uxorilocal, with the man joining the woman’s family. Influenced by modern society, the kinship system has recently shifted towards a patrilineal model.
Ceremonies and Rituals
The largest of the currently retained annual ceremonies of the Pinuyumayan ethnic group is the “Pusaram” (Annual Ritual). Encompassing events like the “Vasivas” (the Monkey Hunting Ritual) and the “Mangayaw” (the Grand Hunting Ritual), the celebration extends for nearly three weeks, marking a major transition from the end of the year to the start of the next. Vasivas aims to build courage in boys and has been changed to use straw monkeys for the stabbing ritual instead of real ones. The Mangayaw was traditionally a hunting and headhunting activity and a male initiation rite. It has now been replaced by wilderness camping and prey capture, with elders teaching outdoor survival skills. At the end of the event, tribal women set up a bamboo arch of triumph outside the community to welcome the men back. Other important rituals include the Mulaliyaban (Millet Harvest Ritual, Sea Ritual) and the Mugamut (Female Mowing Completion Ritual). Pinuyumayan witches (na temaramaw) have powerful magic, making them famous in other nearby ethnic groups and regions.
Competition Event and Participants
- Traditional Archery: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (1 Participant) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (1 Participant)
- Log Sawing: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Traditional Tug-of-War: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (18 Participants)
- Traditional Wrestling: Individual Event－Men’s Division 70kg and Above (2 Participants)
- Net Casting: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Freediving Sprint: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (1 Participant) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (1 Participant1)