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Bunun Aborigines struggle through downturn

"Most aboriginal people said they have little interest to leave their hometowns for jobs elsewhere."

Chen Chien-erh Nantou County labor affairs chief

As the scars caused by the 921 Earthquake four years ago fade in Nantou, a new crisis resulting from the county's industrial transformation is creeping into the quake-ravaged region.

"I don't know how to support my family," said Wang Chen-ming (王振明), a Bunun Aborigine who lives in Tungpu, Nantou County, a remote mountainous area that also suffered the brunt of the blow of the 921 earthquake.

"I have five children to feed. I've been jobless for six months," Wang said. "There are only a few part-time jobs for me to do and I barely have enough food to put on the table."

Before the earthquake, Wang grew plums, tomatoes, peas and other crops on his farm, until the quake tore his land asunder. Since then, he worked as a truck driver transporting sandstone. The soft economy, however, put him out of job again six months ago.

Wang tried to go back to farming, but found it no longer a viable way of life.

"Crop prices have declined in recent years because of the industrial transformation," Wang said. "Revenue from selling crops can't even cover basic expenses such as fertilizers and insecticides."

"Take peas for instance," a Bunun farmer surnamed Dahai (大海) said. "The wholesale prices of peas have been slashed in half to NT$40 to NT$50 per 20kg over the last two years."

There is no sign of the price declines ending soon, as liberalization of agricultural imports following Taiwan's accession to the WTO last year will keep placing pressure on locally-grown crops, said Yohani Isqaqavut (尤哈尼．伊斯卡卡夫特), a national policy advisor to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Wang and Dahai are not alone in suffering the aftermath of earthquake and the economic slowdown. According to Nantou County Government statistics, the jobless rate in Nantou was between 4.81 percent to 5.5 percent last year, with over 12,000 residents unemployed.

"As agriculture is becoming less important in Taiwan's economic structure, the high jobless rate in Nantou County, in which the major industry is agriculture, is expectable," said Chen Chien-erh (陳健二), the county government's labor affairs chief.

To ease unemployment, the county government has been providing some work opportunities, but Chen admitted that the temporary measures cannot eradicate the high unemployment in Nantou.

Demand for labor in Nantou County remains weak and the county jas tried to create job opportunities for the unemployed in other counties, but the plan failed.

"Most Aboriginal people said they have little interest in leaving their hometowns for jobs elsewhere," Chen said.

The deep-seated culture of hearth and home of the Aboriginal people shows their devotion to their motherland, but it also reflects their indolence and incompetence when facing competition outside their home, said Ryan Wu (吳睿穎), spokesman of the Taipei-based 1111 Job Bank (1111人力銀行).

"The high jobless rate among Aboriginal people has existed for a long time and will continue if they don't change their ways," Wu said.

Alcoholism is still prevalent in many Aboriginal tribes making Aboriginal workers an undesirable source of labor, Wu said. A nature of leading an unrestrained life also makes it difficult for them to maintain steady jobs, Wu added.

Acknowledging the root of the problem, Chen said the county government is seeking to improve the situation through education and training, especially related to tourism industry.

Surviving the trauma of the 921 earthquake, Nantou still has an economic war to fight, but these crises have shed a light of promise in the region.

"To me, these incidents are like a wake-up call, driving me to help my hometown emerge from a pitiful situation," Neqou Soqluman (乜寇．索克魯曼), a Bunun youth who left his job in the city and returned to Wang-hsiang, another small village neighboring Yushan National Park and the original home of Bununsy two years ago.

To Soqluman, his village is the most beautiful place in the world and is full of natural resources -- especially its hot springs.

His passion for nature has prompted him to consider turning Wang-hsiang into a vacation resort with the help of his people.

A festival of Bunun culture, with singing, dancing and food, will be on offer on getaway tours that travelers, would not want to miss, he said.

But Soqluman said he has no intention to carry out his resort-development plan with on government assistance.

"The government has given too many subsidies to our people," Soqluman said.

"The problem is, many of our people are just relying on social welfare to live "I hope to make our community the best tourist attraction in the nation," he said.
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