Sakizaya
Sakizaya means “true or real human being” in the tribe’s native language. The Sakizaya tribe is ranked eighth among Taiwan’s indigenous tribes in terms of population. The Sakizaya tribe was once thought to be a branch of the Amis tribe. The earliest records of the Sakizaya date back to 1632. In 1878, on the orders of the Qing emperor, soldiers arrived from China to open up a route between Suao and Hualien, and to govern the resources of the Hualien area. However, the Kavalan and Sakizaya tribes found the Qing policies unacceptable and carried out a resistance, also known as the Jialiwan Incident. The indigenous uprising was decisively defeated and the remaining members of the Sakizaya fled, hiding themselves among the Amis tribe. After 128 years, the Sakizaya finally reclaimed their identity, becoming the 13th officially recognized tribe on January 1, 2007.
The Sakizaya were the earliest inhabitants of what is today Hualien City. Currently, there are five main Sakizaya villages in the Hualien area.
Major ceremonies are carried out based on millet cultivation, such as the planting ceremony and harvest festival. Fishing and other ceremonies are also held throughout the year. During the coming-of-age rites, the elders offer cooked rice to bless the youth of the tribe. This is a tradition unique to the Sakizya. Following the coming-of-age rites, the new members of the age hierarchy will plant a circle of bamboo to symbolize the protection of the village.
To commemorate the Jialiwan Incident and the ancestors who lost their lives in the conflict, the Sakizaya hold the god of fire ceremony to pass on the tribe’s history to the younger generations.
