A special exhibition aimed at highlighting the diversity of Aboriginal cultures yesterday opened at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The exhibition, titled “Ita/kita” (一起得力量，我們!), is curated by Masao Aki and organized by the Ministry of Culture, it said.
Ita and kita mean “us” among many Aboriginal groups in Taiwan, as well as Austronesian-speaking nations, Aki said.
Photo: Chuang Shih-hsien, Taipei Times
Aruwai Kaumakan, Alik Studio, Siki Sufin, Eval Malinjinnan, Tafong Kati and Ruby Swana are among the participating artists, the ministry said.
One of the pieces featured in the exhibition is The Song of Life (生命之歌) by Paiwan artist Aruwai Kaumakan.
The work was inspired by the artist’s experience with Typhoon Morakot, which struck her village in August 2009, it said, adding that the piece symbolizes the togetherness of the village, as well as the artist’s attempt to overcome her sorrow in losing her home and land.
The Song of Life is being displayed in the exhibition’s “Power of Rebirth” section, the ministry said.
Everyone should cherish and recognize Aboriginal culture as an indispensable part of what defines Taiwan, Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) said at the exhibition’s opening reception on Saturday.
Aborigines’ achievements in sports, music and the arts, as well as their contributions to the nation’s multiculturalism, deserve people’s deepest respect, he said.
Hopefully, through the exhibition, more people would pay attention to Aborigines’ interpretations of history and art, he added.
“Only by listening to and respecting the subjective interpretation of Aborigines can we truly understand,” Lee said.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day commemorates Aborigines’ movement to rectify their name, Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Icyang Parod said at the reception.
A decade after the movement began, the name “Aborigines” was officially included in the Constitution on Aug. 1, 1994, he said.
On Aug. 1, 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) apologized to Aborigines on behalf of the government, and announced that it would promote Aborigines’ efforts toward historical and transitional justice, he said.
“Ita/kita” is at the memorial’s Bo-ai Gallery until Wednesday next week, the ministry said.
It would be open for four 90-minute sessions each day beginning at 9am, 11am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm, with up to 100 visitors allowed each session, it said.
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