A biography and musical works of an Aboriginal leader executed 53 years ago were published yesterday by the Council of Cultural Affairs to present "valuable historical and cultural assets to not only Aborigines but to all Taiwanese."
Better known by his Chinese name of Kao Yi-sheng (
Yatauyungana was born in 1908 when Taiwan was under Japanese rule.
Although it was difficult for native Taiwanese students to receive a higher education under the Japanese system, he was able to attend the Tainan Normal College through his connections to the Japanese authorities.
He later returned to the Tsou people's mountain communities, bringing with him new ideas and processes that assisted in modernizing the Aboriginal communities there.
During this time, he also composed many pieces of music and accompanying lyrics.
After World War II, Yatauyungana began promoting the idea of Aboriginal autonomy. When the 228 Incident erupted in 1947, however, he coordinated a group of Tsou tribesmen who joined Chiayi locals in fighting against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) forces, eventually trapping them inside Chiayi's airport.
Because of his ideas and actions, he was jailed by the KMT government and executed in 1954.
Wu Chin-fa (吳錦發), the assistant director of the council, said the release of the book and CD marked an emotional moment.
He also said that with more and more information on Yatauyungana being discovered, researchers in the area could attempt to redefine Aboriginal literature.
Pasuya Poiconu (Pu Chung-cheng, 浦忠成), the author of the biography and a former deputy minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples, said that more research should be devoted to the issue.
Also present was Kao Ying-chieh (
An earlier CD of Yatauyungana's music and lyrics and research into his life were published in the 1990s.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern