2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Refashioning a new Ethnic Identity and the influence of religions among the Taiwan Natives
| Project/Area Number |
16520059
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Religious studies
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| Research Institution | Morioka Junior College, Iwate Prefectural University |
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Principal Investigator |
KUSABA Eiko (原 英子) Morioka Junior College, Iwate Prefectural University, Associate Professor, 国際文化学科, 助教授 (80180991)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2006
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| Keywords | Taiwan Natives / indigenous peoples of Taiwan / Truku / Sedeq / Ethnic identity / Japanese colonial period / the Christian Presbyterian Church / Reconstructing "History" |
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| Research Abstract |
There had been 9 indigenous peoples in Taiwan since the Japanese colonial period. However the boundaries of Taiwanese ethnic groups have been changed and new ethnic identities have been fashioned in the past decade. The Thao became the 10^<th> tribe, the Kavalan became 11th, and the Truku which separated from the Atayal became the 12th tribe. In 2007, the Sakizaya were separated from the Amis and became the 13th tribe. I consider the tide of the fashioning a new ethnic identity and the influence of religions among the Taiwan Natives.
1. The priests of the Christian Presbyterian Church have been concerned with official recognition of the Truku tribe. Through their translation of the Bible into their language, they established the rules of writing their language. The acquaintance with their language has been by using their mother language in school education. They reconstruct their history by using Japanese literature and their oral histories. Many activities of Christian churches have been influential in making reconsciousness their ethnic identity.
2. The priests of folk religion among Amis tribe who are also witch doctors define their ethnic identity and their own Gods. Many villagers have become Christians. Though even some priests also had become Christians before, they noticed more clearly what their Gods were. Some priests have believed the religion of the Han. Sometimes they become Chinese shamans called Tang-ki. These beliefs bring them ethnic consciousness and they reconsider their ethnic boundary.
3. I notice the Sakizaya using internet media effectually, they insisted their sense of own identity using the internet media tools. Sometimes they reported to the world with Chinese and English by internet newspapers.
Through these points I considered about Taiwan Native's new ethnic identity and the influence of religions.
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