Made in Taiwan: A Polynesian Adventure

Oscar Kightley

July 16, 2016January 30, 2018 Phillip Charlier 4 Comments indigenous peoples, Maori in Taiwan, Polynesian origins

In 2006 Oscar Kightley, of ‘Naked Samoan’ fame, and New Zealand radio/TV host Nathan Rarere traced their ancestry via DNA to Taiwan. They made a trek and documentary about it titled ‘Made in Taiwan’. Kightley and Rarere began their journey in New Zealand, where they took a DNA swab, and

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Behind the legend of the Little Black People Ritual

Saisayat festival Pasta`ay

Beautiful Island

June 29, 2012November 27, 2016 Sean Kaiteri 0 Comment aboriginal culture in Taiwan, aboriginal history, Basta/Pasta Ai/Ay, Council of Indigenous Peoples, festival of the little people, indigenous peoples, little black people ceremony, or "Ritual of the Little Black People" (矮靈祭), pigmies in Formosa, Saisiyat tribe, wufeng, Wufeng (五峰鄉 ‘five peaks’), wufong

By Sean Kaiteri / Contributor, The Wild East The Story of the Legend of the Pas’ ta ay in my own words:) (editor’s note: The Basta/Pasta Ai/Ay, or “Ritual of the Little Black People” (矮靈祭) is performed by the Saisiyat tribe in northeast Taiwan) No one is really sure exactly

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A Blessing for the Start of Work on the Chingchuan Community Center

Beautiful Island Taiwan News

May 16, 2012January 11, 2015 Trista di Genova 4 Comments aboriginal culture in Taiwan, Atayal tribe, Barry Martinson, indigenous peoples, Saisiyat tribe, Tobie Openshaw, Wufeng Project

Last year a group of foreigners organized the Wufeng Project, working with aboriginal kids in Wufeng and Chingchuan, Hsinchu County. They gave the kids cameras and their photography was then sold at auction, raising over NT$2 million to renovate a desperately needed community center in Chingchuan. This is the blessing

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Aboriginal kids' art raises 2.1mil NT at auction 五峰計畫拍賣會/ 閉幕會

Arts & Entertainment Beautiful Island

November 17, 2011January 11, 2015 Trista di Genova 0 Comment aboriginal, aboriginal culture in Taiwan, Artists raise money for charity, Atayal tribe, Chingchuan, festival of the little people, indigenous peoples, saisiyat

What: The Wufong Project Fundraiser Auction Event When: Saturday, November 19th, 2011 (2:00pm- 5:00 pm) Where: The Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers, Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers 風味館, No.181, Sec. 3, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan Dist Taipei. Website: www.taiwanpaf.org The Atayal Tribe in Chingchuan Village, Hsinchu County is the site

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Fr. Barry Martinson on his new novel, ‘Ghost Friends’

Expat literature Religion and Spirituality

July 9, 2011January 15, 2015 Trista di Genova 2 Comments aboriginal culture in Taiwan, aboriginal cultures in Taiwan, aboriginal Taiwan, Barry Martinson, expat writers, Hermann Hesse's Steppenwolf, indigenous peoples, writers

Father Barry Martinson’s “Ghost Friends” weaves a spell-binding tale that speaks to timeless, universal experience, and tells of hardship, destitution, pain and suffering as well as compassion, understanding, love and ultimately salvation. Definitely a writer to watch, ‘Ghost Friends’ indicates Martinson has been cultivating a wonderful gift: the ability to touch the world audience. His other works are noteworthy literary and cultural treasures as well, particularly his fascinating account as a new missionary in Taiwan with Orchid Island’s Tao tribe.

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Paradise Lost? Orchid Island’s Rocky History

Traditional boats on orchid Island

Beautiful Island History

May 18, 2011March 17, 2017 Trista di Genova aboriginal culture in Taiwan, aboriginal peoples, anthropologist Peter Bellwood, Austronesian creation myths, Austronesian language and cultures, Barry Martinson, green island 綠島, indigenous peoples, Japanese in Taiwan, Kuomintang influence on tribal cultures, Lanyu Meteorological Observatory (蘭嶼氣象站), Lou Tsu-k’uang, nuclear, nuclear dumping on Orchid Island, Orchid Island, Orchid Island Lanyu 蘭嶼, Pacific Rim cultures, Phalaenopsis orchids, Presbyterians in Formosa, Small Heavenly Lake (小天池, Taiwan DNA and the Batanes, Taiwan history, Tao tribe, travel, Treaty of Shimonoseki, Xiao tien chih)., Yami, Yeying Village (Ivalino)

If the Tao people of Taiwan’s Orchid Island can overcome some modern-day challenges while celebrating and sharing their rich heritage, the future looks bright for this amazing but remote haven

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Unpaving Paradise: Digging Up Taiwan's Ancient Heritage

Beautiful Island

July 16, 2009 Trista di Genova 10 Comments aboriginal peoples, Ann Gibbons, anthropology, Austronesian language and cultures, Beinan, Changbin culture, dispersal theory, historic migration of peoples, history of Asia-Pacific, Homo sapiens sapiens, indigenous peoples, National Museum of Prehistory, Peter Bellwood, Taidong, Taidung, Taitung, Taiwan archaeology, Tapenkeng, Tsochen Man

Over a thousand ancient sites have been discovered in Taiwan over the past century, with many constantly being unearthed and excavated to this day — by only a handful of archaeologists. Yet few are aware that Taiwan’s history may hold the key to understanding human development and migration in the Asia-Pacific region.

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