Keen to see their hometown become more progressive and prosperous, Tu Yun-chang (杜運昌) and his wife, Hsu Yu-lan (徐玉蘭), both from the Rukai Aboriginal tribe, decided in 2007 to move back to their tribal village in Pingtung County after decades of living in Taipei.
“Although life in the mountains is sort of boring, we still longed to go home and contribute what we had learned in the city to our tribe and local communities,” said Tu, 53, who enjoys fame as the “King of Rukai Cuisine” in Pingtung’s Wutai Township (霧台), where the couple now lives.
Their decision is unusual, because thousands of the nation’s estimated 490,000 Aborigines have migrated from tribal villages to cities in recent decades in search of work, with few returning home, where it is difficult to make a living.
PHOTO: CNA
The migration has made it more difficult for indigenous cultures and languages to be passed down to younger generations. Statistics from the Council of Indigenous Peoples show that about 40 percent of the nation’s Aborigines resided in rural areas last year.
But with the economic downturn, which has led to a steep rise in unemployment, more Aborigines may be considering the possibility of moving back to their home villages, where they have their family’s land and the cost of living is substantially lower, a council official said.
Tu and Hsu were part of the exodus of young Aborigines from tribal villages moving to the cities more than 30 years ago when they went to the north and tried to eke out a living by running a beef noodle shop in Wugu (五股), Taipei County.
But even then, the couple knew they would return home one day, said Hsu, 52.
“Compared with Taipei, life here in local tribal communities is much more tranquil, healthy and easier, and there is always something one can do for his tribe and to make his hometown better,” she said.
As the first ones from their tribal area to settle in Taipei, Hsu said they had helped many tribespeople seek jobs and places to live in the city over the past three decades. However, many of the people they have helped are still struggling to make ends meet in the city and come under serious pressure, she said.
“I encouraged my tribal folks to try their luck in the city 30 years ago. Now, if possible, I hope Rukai people can come back and pay back what they have learned to their hometowns,” Hsu said.
The couple’s success story could serve as a model for other Aborigines who wish to abandon the expensive and competitive life in the cities to try to make it back home.
The couple run a small Rukai-style restaurant in Wutai Township, which is often packed with city dwellers seeking fun and leisure in the mountains. The restaurant specializes in blending traditional Rukai flavors into new dishes.
Although it opened in 2007, the cuisine has quickly made the couple famous in Wutai and their restaurant has become a main attraction for many tourists and others looking for a taste of authentic Aboriginal cuisine.
Wutai Village in Wutai Township has a population of 3,000 and is situated at an elevation of more than 1,000m above sea level. The Rukai tribe counts about 10,000 members nationwide, its people scattered in Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Taitung counties.
“We opened the restaurant to offer something new and unique to our tribe and also to visitors,” Tu said.
Hsu said that at first she did not have the slightest idea of how to prepare Rukai style dishes, but was determined to learn.
“I imitated my mother’s techniques step by step,” Hsu said.
Their menu includes the traditional stone plate barbecue pork and chinafus — a Rukai-style roll stuffed with taro and pork and wrapped in leaves. But Tu said creative dishes cooked in a Western style were also popular with the clientele.
Mullet rice, or abayi (steamed mullet cake in the shape of sushi), is also a favorite.
However, the one item customers will not find on the menu is alcohol.
“We don’t sell alcohol at our restaurant because we want to prove that we can do without it and break the stereotypical mold in which Aborigines are usually cast,” Tu said.
Although making money is not their main objective, business at the restaurant has not been bad, Tu said.
The dishes not only appeal to the palates of Rukai tribespeople, but also to the more affluent city dwellers.
“I remember an activity hosted by the Council of Indigenous Peoples at which all the Rukai-style dishes we prepared were gone in a few minutes, while much of the food prepared by people of other tribes were left untouched,” Hsu said.
Having become accustomed to city life, the couple has tried to readapt to the rustic life in the mountains.
In their spare time, they grow organic fruit and vegetables and invite their customers to go to their farm for a change in atmosphere and to pick the fresh produce.
“With the access we now have to a lot more fresh ingredients, we can create even more delicious and appetizing dishes for our customers,” Hsu said.
Since their return to Wutai, Tu and Hsu have also expanded the scope of their service, providing guided tours to the nearby scenic Ali Township (阿禮), a 20-minute drive from Wutai.
“I was born in Ali and my wife was born in a nearby township. We are very proud to introduce our hometowns to newcomers,” Tu said.
The couple became involved in the tour guide service after they joined a group led by Chen Mei-hui (陳美惠), an assistant professor of the forestry department at National Ping Tung University of Science and Technology.
The group strives to introduce visitors to Rukai culture and its environment.
“We hope to help Ali attract more visitors and help people from the outside gain a better understanding of the tiny community in an eco-friendly way,” Hsu said.
Ali is the highest and the oldest Rukai township in Taiwan.
Its population of fewer than 50 permanent residents almost entirely consists of elderly people. The area has a wealth of environmental and cultural attractions, as it is located at an altitude of 1,200m.
Peng Chien-hao, an assistant on Chen’s university research team, praised Tu and Hsu for promoting Rukai culture.
“They know their native land best and we want to help them develop a concept of ‘sustainable growth,’ starting with the environmental tour, to avoid the type of commercialization that is already common in other aboriginal communities and help them earn some extra money in the process,” he said.
The Council of Indigenous Peoples, however, said it was uncommon for Aborigines to move back to rural areas once they left.
“Although many Aborigines are willing to return to the mountains and make a living on their own, few can succeed like Tu and his wife,” said a council official, who herself is of the Amis tribe and requested not to be named.
“Even if they go back to their highland tribes, they still have to overcome many barriers because they lack capital, knowledge and adequate assistance,” the official said. “More reclusive townships have less resources and children’s education is a major concern for parents.”
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