King of the Puyuma people leaves a legacy of harmony

The most outstanding member of the Puyuma people in recent times, Mateli (馬智禮) was both intelligent and brave as a leader. Not only did he resolve conflicts between different Aboriginal peoples in Taitung during the 50 years before and after the end of Japanese occupation, but he also eliminated the dangers spreading to Taitung County as a result of the 228 Incident.

Mateli, who was a mainlander, worked hard to foster harmony between ethnic groups, and he became the King of the Puyuma, the acknowledged alliance leader of the Puyuma people in the Pa Community (八社).

His original family name was Chu (朱), and he was born around 1890. At the age of four, he followed his father Chu Lai-sheng (朱來盛) when he left China's Fujian Province to seek refuge in Taiwan.

After a while, he ended up in Taitung where he changed his name to Mateli before being adopted by the Puyuma people in the Chulu Community (初鹿社).

Despite the fact that he was Chinese, Mateli, who had a brilliant mind and was a diligent student, quickly immersed himself in Puyuma culture and traditions. He was considered to be exceptionally brave and developed superior hunting skills, considered highly important among the Puyuma people.

Highly respected by the tribe's elders, Mateli married into the family of the Chulu Community's chieftain at the age of 28 and later replaced his father-in-law as chieftain.

At the time, there were continuous feuds between the Puyuma and Bunong (布農族) tribes over hunting grounds. After taking over as chieftain, while Mateli trained his men to be prepared for the possibility of an attack, he also worked toward a peaceful solution to the conflict.

His efforts led to a treaty between the Puyuma and the Bunong, which indirectly put an end to the conflict between the Bunong and the Japanese government.

Laihsin (馬來盛), Mateli's grandson, says that the Bunong were known as an incomparably brave people and that they terrified the Japanese.

Laihsin said his grandfather relied on intelligence and bravery to create peace between the two tribes. He said his grandfather's brokering of the peace treaty, together with the fact that he had once hunted and killed a record 13 Formosan cloud leopards (雲豹), solidified his position among the Pa, who called him the King of the Puyuma.

In the early period after retrocession, Mateli was reported to the central authorities for possessing a large cache of weapons that he had accepted from the Japanese army. He was listed as No. 5 on the government's list of the top eight bandits in Taiwan.

The 228 Incident, however, showed that Mateli was no bandit, but rather a great chieftain who always pursued tribal peace and harmony.

Lin Chien-cheng (林建成) says that, following the Incident, mobs of young people in Taitung surrounded bus stations and other public places, as well as the county magistrate's residence.

But Mateli issued an order to members of his tribe, instructing them to refrain from acting rashly. He also arranged for members of the Chulu community to protect the first government-appointed county magistrate and some 200 other officials.

Mateli told outsiders that "if you want to fight mainlanders, you have to fight the Puyuma tribe first."

He also went in person to the police station to demand that the police release the people that had been arrested during the turmoil. Thanks to his efforts, Taitung County was lucky to escape much of the effects of the Incident.