2008南方影展

Taiwan Indigenes had been called “Savage” by Taiwanese Han for hundreds of years. Han people always believe that non-Han encountered their culture must be sinicized, and the sinicized people must be very glorious. Therefore, the indigenous identity was always a stigma in Taiwan. Jibeishua villagers used to deny their indigenous background.  Along with the Taiwanese localization movement raised in 1990s, some Jibeishua youths stand up to wake up the indigenous identity for Jibeishua villagers. Duan Huan-kuan is one of the most important activists. In the past decade he leaded the movement to revive the Siraya (tribal name of Jibeishua villagers) culture and appeal for formal recognition. Many Jibeishua villagers opposed him in the beginning: blaming him to abandon his Han ancestors; questioning him for a political purpose; and criticizing him to make money for himself, etc. Duan’s efforts finally affect all the Jibeishua villagers and now every villager picks up their “Savage” identity with pride.