When the family of the mazajzajngilajng (“community leader”) of the Paiwan Tjarilik community in Taitung County was brewing millet wine in preparation for their harvest festival a few days ago, they were questioned by police and the wine was confiscated for making alcohol for sale in contravention of articles 45 and 46 of the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act (菸酒管理法), to which the community reacted strongly.
This is the harvest season for millet, the most-prized crop among Taiwan’s Aborigines. Regardless of whether it is a good or a poor harvest, the community will follow the traditions passed down by their ancestors and hold libation ceremonies to give thanks to the earth god, the millet goddess and the mountain, forest and river gods to reward them and ask for their blessings.
At the ceremony, the community gathers to eat and drink food and wine made from millet. It is during such gatherings with relatives and friends, young and old, that the stories and tales of their culture are passed on.
These ceremonies are held in turn in Pingtung, Taitung and Hualien counties, and are conducted by Aboriginal communities along the Central Mountain Range. The gratitude and respect expressed toward gods, spirits, earth and crops is a ritual and a pledge that has continued uninterrupted for hundreds of years.
Aboriginal legends and myths stress that if these rituals and ceremonies are not complete and lack respect, the crops will fail, as it would imply that farming is not seen as important, making another good harvest difficult.
Brewing millet wine for the festival is necessary, as the millet cake, meat and other offerings must be accompanied by millet wine when they are given to the gods and spirits. It is also how a community expresses its respect and gratitude.
Some communities sing and dance, such as the Amis, while others, such as the Puyuma and Tsou peoples, maintain a solemn silence throughout, without any talk, song or dance.
These traditions and customs have been passed down for at least 1,000 years.
Someone allegedly reported the tribal leader for brewing and selling the wine, and when investigators asked about the price, he said: “About NT$200.” That was enough to determine that he had broken the law.
It is fortunate that these rituals can continue, as they are a symbol of the continued strength of the communities’ cultures, but that they became the target of legal interference is very upsetting.
Could it really be that the county government and police are so completely disconnected from daily life that they do not even know that the Paiwan people brew wine for their harvest festival or that these festivals exist, or that they think that the Amis are the only people who follow this ritual?
The Paiwan people, the Tjarilik community, the harvest festival and the brewing of millet wine have existed far longer than this nation.
The laws that police rely on and their lack of cultural understanding is flabbergasting.
Pasuya Poiconu is a professor in the Department of Indigenous Affairs and Development at National Dong Hwa University.
Translated by Perry Svensson
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS