Aboriginal culture is to be televised by the Discovery Channel next year, with plans to release a show called Taiwan’s Tribal Treasure that is to focus on an Aboriginal community.
Filmed in collaboration with members of the Rukai people and Taiwan’s Council of Indigenous Peoples, the series is to highlight an aspect of Taiwan that may not be well-known overseas.
The series aims to give viewers a deeper understanding of the traditions and societal intricacies of Aboriginal culture.
Acting president of Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific and North Asia Gina Hung (洪韻淇) said the series intends to present a unique perspective of Aboriginal culture.
One of the aims of the production is to change the ways in which Aborigines are presented on local television and is seeking to reveal how one community is living in modern times.
The story is told through younger members of the community, who are trying to understand their cultural roots.
A young Rukai woman, Lavaoso, is featured in the series as she takes part in tsatsapipianu, an annual Rukai ritual for harvest blessings from the community’s ancestral spirits. In addition to this event, her wedding to a Rukai man takes place. Both her emotional and cultural journey are to be on display.
Taiwan’s Tribal Treasure is to be broadcast next year on the Discovery Channel Asia while further distribution depends on the programs success.
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