Following the Incident, Mateli joined Defense Minister Pai Chung-hsi (白崇禧) on seven tours around the province in a bid to eliminate suspicion between Aborigines and the KMT government and military. As a result, the government managed to calm Aboriginal society without the loss of a single soldier.
Mateli declined a promotion by the government and in his later years he withdrew to the Chulu mountain area where he directed all his efforts towards the education of his grandson, Laihsin.
Laihsin says that his grandfather's lifelong dedication to tribal and ethnic harmony has left a deep impression on him.
He said he worries that recent disagreements between Aborigines and the government will lead to increased tensions between the two.
Translated by Perry Svensson
RSS