Wed, Jun 07, 2000 page2

• Orchid Island's future closely linked to past

  SURVIVAL Over the last 30 years, the island's Aborigines have faced a series of threats, not least of which is the continued storage of nuclear waste on the island

  • By Liu Shao-hua / STAFF REPORTER
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  Driving along the rocky coast of Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) it soon becomes evident that the islanders have a different way of life than what one encounters on Taiwan. On a recent visit, a man was seen just standing by the roadside. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he looked up towards the sky. When asked why he was standing outside as night fell, the man replied, "My sheep don't want to go home," pointing up to nearby cliffs where his small herd wandered around grassy rocks.

  It is the pastoral lifestyle of Orchid Island, the azure sky, the deep blue Pacific Ocean, green mountains and distinct culture that makes this 45 sq km island a modern-day Xanadu.

  But Orchid Island's beauty hides scars as well.

  

  Two men carve wooden pieces that make up part of a traditional Orchid Island fishing boat. According to custom, women are not allowed to touch the boats.

  PHOTO: CHUI YI-FEI, LIBERTY TIMES

  Not far from where the man was standing, a harbor was built to unload nuclear waste from the Taiwan to be stored on the island.

  Aboriginal rights activists think autonomy is the best solution to improving the island's situation and developing it in a way that would suit the people who live there.

  History

  

  A traditional Aboriginal fishing boat, showing the hand-painted style that is special to Orchid Island. Red and white is the most common color for the boats.

  PHOTO: CHIU YI-FEI, LIBERTY TIMES

  Located to the southeast of Taiwan, Orchid Island has a population of nearly 3,000 indigenous Tao residents -- referred to in the past as the Yami by both the KMT and scholars in the past -- and hundreds of Taiwanese migrants.

  There is no official hospital or medical doctors on the island. Six traditional tribes are incorporated into four administrative villages, with four primary schools and one high school.

  Only two airlines, with five flights which can seat about 100 passengers, service the island. These offer natives and tourists alike a link with the southeastern city of Taitung. The flights are often canceled, however, due to the heavy rains and strong winds prevalent in the area.

  Over the years, Christianity has spread among the islanders and has greatly influenced their beliefs. There are currently 13 churches on the island.

  Under Japanese colonial rule the island was declared a research area for native species. The Japanese later prohibited migration to and development of the island. This preserved Orchid Island's distinct cultures and natural environment for the 50 years that Taiwan remained Japan's colony.

  After World War II, the KMT took control of Taiwan and with it, Orchid Island. From that time on the KMT began to implement a "Hanization" policy (The Han are the main ethnic group in Taiwan), which diluted traditional culture on Orchid Island. A national housing (國民住宅) policy and the opening up of the island to tourism has also reshaped the cultural landscape of the island.

  Dismantling traditional culture

  From 1966 to 1980, in the name of development, the KMT asked islanders to dismantle their traditional underground houses and construct modern cement houses.

  "That ensured the disappearance of the traditional cultures and community activities related to the traditional houses," said Si Manpang (希*滿棒), an ethnographer.

  At first, most of the islanders refused to live in the cement houses. The design of traditional houses fits with Orchid Island's natural environment. Building under the ground keeps rooms cool in the summer and avoids strong, cold winds in the winter.

  The modern houses were often poorly built as well. In addition to implementing improper designs, some builders used vast quantities of sea sand in the cement used in the construction. The result was that many of the so-called "sea sand houses" collapsed.

  The construction of new homes can be seen everywhere on Orchid Island today, making the island look like a large worksite. The current wave of construction is an attempt to remedy the problems caused by the previous national housing policy.

  Another change to islanders' lives came in 1967, when the KMT decided to allow tourism and development on Orchid Island. Curious tourists swarmed to the island and severely disturbed islanders' lives, scholars say.

  The nuclear nightmare

  Until dramatic anti-nuclear protests began in 1987, Orchid Island was considered a quiet, remote area. Since then, people around the world have learned how these islanders have lived with nuclear waste in their backyard, one island elder said.

  "The nuclear waste has been our nightmare for decades and has caused many strange diseases and mental problems for our people," the elder said.

  Islanders accuse Taipower and the Atomic Energy Council of lying to them in order to establish a nuclear waste storage site on the island in 1980. "They cheated us by saying they were going to build a can factory," the elder said.

  According to island activists, there are currently about 96,000 barrels of nuclear waste stored on the island. Over 30,000 barrels have rusted, causing nuclear waste to leak. This is thought to be the main cause of both a high cancer death rate and birth defects affecting over 50 children.

  When asked their feelings on this issue, one islander replied, "The question makes me feel sleepy," referring to the fact that the issue has remained unanswered for more than a decade.
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