Sunshine Siaolin: Where Taivoan Culture Sparkles
◎Written & translated by Hou Ya-ting
In 2009, Typhoon Morakot obliterated Kaohisung's Siaolin Village, where the majority of residents were members of the Taivoan ethnic group, one of Taiwan's Pingpu (lowland indigenous) peoples. Afterward, some of the survivors relocated to Sunshine Siaolin Community in Kaohsiung's Shanlin District.
“As long as Siaolin villagers are alive, the spirit and culture of Siaolin Village shall be preserved,” say residents of Sunshine Siaolin. This determination has led residents to revive Taivoan culture, which has existed since the 17th century. Visitors to Sunshine Siaolin will see Taivoan culture flourishing, bringing vitality and comfort to residents.
Typhoon Morakot caused torrential rains and catastrophic landslides which utterly destroyed Siaolin Village in Jiasian District. Surviving villagers were forced to relocate to either Wulipu Siaolin 1st Village in Jiasian, Siaoai Siaolin in Shanlin District, or Sunshine Siaolin Community. Sunshine Siaolin got its name after the residents received a gift of sunflowers from Japanese visitors, who offered encouragement by urging the survivors to be as persistent as sunflowers, which always faces the sun.
Taivoan Dance Theatre
Siaolin survivors settled into Sunshine Siaolin in December 2011. At the same time, they formed Taivoan Dance Theatre. The troupe's members, who range in age from seven to seventy-four, perform ancient Taivoan songs and dances.
Mr. Wang Ming-liang, executive secretary of Sunshine Siaolin, says Taivoan seniors teach ancient songs by orally transmitting them to the younger generation. The troupe obtained recordings of old Taivoan ballads made back in the 1895-1945 period of Japanese colonial rule, and listening to these recordings has helped members of the troupe learn the songs. The daily habits and ritual movements of elderly Taivoan people are precious elements of living Taivoan culture. From them, Taivoan Dance Theatre has developed its choreography.
To show their gratitude for the support the community received following its losses during Typhoon Morakot, Taivoan Dance Theatre has performed at home and abroad. In 2014, the troupe headed to tsunami-hit Iwate Prefecture in Japan for a charity show. Mr. Syu Ming-jyun, a performing member of Taivoan Dance Theatre, says that after the performance, performers and members of the audience hugged each other. The exchange of concern and encouragement moved many to tears.
Mr. Wang says he went to Japan simply to join the performance, yet afterward he felt he was the one who was healed. A man aged about 80 approached them, speaking Japanese, which none of them could understand. A little later, the elderly man returned and handed them some not-yet-dried calligraphy. The just-written work included the kanji script for deep friendship. The troupe members were profoundly touched by the man's actions.
On September 20, 2020, Taivoan Dance Theatre performed at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), a world-class performance venue in Kaohsiung. Fifty Taivoan people contributed Taivoan ancient songs, dances, and drum performances.
Restore Plants Growing around Siaolin Village
Taivoan Dance Theatre is giving new life to Taivoan ancient songs, but to properly preserve Taivoan culture, it is essential to document it in written form. Mr. Syu Ming-jyun, a resident of Sunshine Siaolin who served as the community's development agent from 2015 to 2018, has conducted interviews with elderly Taivoan, collecting detailed information about their culture.
His solid field research led him to realize there is a strong connection between native plants and Taivoan culture. Since then, Mr. Syu has been endeavoring to restore plant species from the ethnic groups's Siaolin homeland. He has accompanied elderly Taivon villagers on trips back to the site of Siaolin to search for plants. So far, they have transplanted 50 plants to Sunshine Siaolin.
Mr. Syu laments the distance between Sunshine Siaolin and the original site of Siaolin Village. The round trip takes two hours by car. Mr. Syu figures that, if they see familiar plants around their new home, people who grew up in Siaolin are less likely to feel alienated from Taivoan culture. The tight connection between plants and traditional Taivoan lifestyles extends to diet, crafts, architecture, and culture. For instance, sorghum is used to produce liquor. China grass is used to make reticule-type bags. Giant thorn bamboo is used to build the shrines in which Taivoan people worship their ancestors.
Using giant thorn bamboo and yellow rotang palm, villagers can make fish traps. The rhizome of a native thistle is stewed in soups. A bowl of chicken stew with thistles is a hometown taste for Taivoan people. Due to a lack of gardening space available at Sunshine Siaolin, Mr. Syu and other residents hope to develop a large garden filled with native plants elsewhere.
Efforts to pass on Taivoan cultural heritage still have a long way to go. According to Mr. Wang, many of the elderly Taivoan folks who used to hold the annual Night Sacrifice passed away during Typhoon Morakot. Since then, villagers organizing the Night Sacrifice have depended on the guidance of the same elderly people who have virtuoso skills such as weaving reticules, doing embroidery, and crafting farming and hunting implements out of bamboo. Those with such skills offer training classes for villagers eager to pick up traditional crafts.
Outsiders curious about Taivoan culture are welcome to participate in the Sunshine Siaolin one-day tour.
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Sunshine Siaolin Community Development Association |
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No. 1, Jhongyi Rd., Shanlin Dist., Kaohsiung City |
日光小林部落 文化芬芳
◎照片提供/日光小林、大滿舞團、高雄市政府文化局
莫拉克風災至今10載，落腳於「日光小林」部落的小林村族人建立共識：「只要人還在，小林村與文化就永遠不會消失！」小林部落居民大多為平埔原住民大武壠族人，於是「日光小林」部落小林村人著手復興大武壠族文化，自17世紀即存在於高雄和台南的大武壠族文化成為「日光小林」部落的文化底蘊。走訪「日光小林」部落，看見大武壠族文化氛芳。
2009年，莫拉克颱風肆虐南台灣，位於甲仙區的小林村淹沒在土石流洪流中，失鄉的小林村族人只得告別原鄉部落周圍廣達1千公頃的自然環境，搬遷至三地：甲仙區五里埔的「小林一村」、杉林區的「小愛小林」亦或是杉林區的「小林二村」(又名「日光小林」)。風災過後，日人贈予小林部落向日葵，鼓勵小林人有如向日葵般堅毅、迎向陽光，「小林二村」居民於是改名「日光小林」。
大滿舞團
2011年12月，日光小林部落落成，同一時期，日光小林成立「大滿舞團」，成員年齡從7歲到74歲，表演大武壠族古謠和舞蹈。日光小林社區發展總幹事王民亮先生談起，部落老人家教唱古謠，團員取得日治時期的錄製大武壠族古謠錄音，聽著錄音將古謠學回來。而大滿舞團的是把部落老人家生活上的動作，編成舞蹈，部落族人的生活體現大武壠族文化。
風災過後，小林村人對於各界關懷銘刻在心，期盼透過大滿舞團的表演，把愛傳出去。2014年，大滿舞團前往日本岩手縣為311災民義演，團員徐銘駿先生說，表演完，團員與觀眾互相擁抱，儘管有著語言的藩籬，但感受到彼此的關心，為彼此加油，都感動的哭了。團長王民亮坦言，參與311義演，被療癒的其實是自己。王民亮憶起，一位年近8旬的爺爺，看完表演，說了很多他們聽不懂的日本話，不久老爺爺折返，拿了張墨漬未乾、以書法書寫的「絆」字贈送予團員。日文漢字「絆」字喻意深厚的情誼，讓團員們深受感動。
今年9月20日，大滿舞團登上衛舞營國家藝術文化中心，此次動員三個部落50位族人同台獻藝，帶來精彩的大武壠族古謠、舞蹈以及大鼓陣表演。
復育部落植物
大滿舞團巡演讓大武壠族古謠被聽見，但把大武壠族文化以書面形式紀錄下來也至關重要。徐銘駿2015年至2018年，擔任「日光小林」的部落營造員，紀錄耆老的口述訪談、蒐集來的文獻資料和田野調查紀載下來。徐銘駿也從田野調查發現人與土地、植物和文化之間的連結，大武壠族文化復興的觸角延伸至復育部落的植物。徐銘駿和族人跟著部落老人家回到山上找尋存在舊部落山林的傳統植物，再移植回「日光小林」聚落，目前移植逾50種的原鄉植物至「日光小林」庭院。
徐銘駿說，日光小林部落距離原鄉單程至少一小時車程。生活空間周邊種植部落植物讓族人感覺並沒有疏離部落文化，此外小林部落的傳統植物與大武壠族的飲食、工藝、建築和文化習習相關，比如散穗高粱用於釀酒，高粱加糯米搗製麻糬；苧麻用來編織網袋；青葙與雞冠花用來編織花冠；刺竹用來搭建公廨(大武壠族人祭祀祖靈的場所)；刺竹和黃藤則用來製作「漁笱」(補魚器具)；華薊的根莖用來燉湯，一鍋華薊雞湯是彼時原鄉小林人的家鄉味。
囿於日光小林聚落每戶人家的後院有限的空間，徐銘駿和族人持續復育存在於部落的植物，企盼有天日光小林能有一座民族植物園。
文化傳承，任重道遠。王民亮有感而發的說，夜祭是小林部落最重要的祭典，負責舉辦夜祭的長輩都不幸在風災時去逝，風災過後舉辦夜祭時，曾參與夜祭的長輩帶領族人，繼續舉辦小林夜祭。 小林部落精通工藝的長輩傾囊相授傳統部落技藝，包括網袋、刺繡、竹編等工藝。日光小林聚落也開班培訓族人的刺繡、編織傳統網袋、製作漁笱(補魚器)等技藝。
日光小林社區發展協會推出部落小旅行，誠摯的歡迎您造訪日光小林部落，感受大武壠族豐富的文化流轉在生活的各個面向。
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預約日光小林社區發展協會小旅行 |
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高雄市左營區店仔頂街110巷27號
(07)677-5186 |