布農，在布農語中是人的意思。布農族群根據不同的氏族，分為巒社、卡社、丹社、卓社、郡社等五大社群，是臺灣少數民族的第四大族群。
布農沒有世襲的統治階級，只有由族人選出的終身職領袖。領袖分為兩種：一種是部落首長，是擔任部落傳統習俗的守護者，主持由各氏族長老和戶長參加的部落會議，並執行會議的決議，通常也是各項祭典的祭司；另一種是部落的軍事首長，由擁有戰功、深謀遠慮、甚至熟諳吉兇占卜的長者擔任，一經選出都是終身職，其兒子並沒有繼位的權力。
布農人是典型的父系社會大家庭，一戶人家經常三代同堂，由最年長的祖父或叔祖父擔任家長，伯叔輩即使婚後仍不分家，每對夫妻在屋內各自分配一間臥室居住，所有家人共同分工合作。如果分家，通常是要在祖父過世後，才能由伯叔輩主持協議分家。
“八部合音”，是布農人最具代表性的音樂表現形式，它是以八個不同的音階構成柔美的合音，內容是祈禱小米豐收，又稱“小米豐收歌”。而“誇功宴”則是在親友歡聚宴飲時，大家圍成一個圓圈，不分男女輪流走到中心，大聲報出自己的名字，並列舉自己在一年內傑出的表現，公開誇耀自己成績的歡慶宴會，這也是布農人最具特色的文化習俗。
布農在原住民各族群當中是唯一擁有自創文字——“農事曆法圖表”的族群，他們一年四季均依曆法進行農耕、狩獵。許多祭典都是依附在農事祭儀中，例如射耳祭、小米播種祭等，都是布農人重要的歲時祭儀。
Bunun
The Bunun is the fourth largest of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes. Bunun refers to “human” in the tribe’s native language. The traditional social organization of the Bunun did not include a chieftain. Instead, the tribe was governed by clan elders. The tribe is divided into five main groups: Luanshe, Kashe, Danshe, Zhuoshe and Junshe.
The Bunun leaders did not inherit their titles, but rather were elected by the village residents. There were two types of leaders. The first was the village leader who was the guardian of all traditional customs and presided over the various clan elder council meetings and carried out the resolutions adopted during those meetings. He also presided over ceremonies and rites. There was also a military affairs leader who was an experienced warrior and able to plan strategy and to carry out divination.
This is a patrilineal society that carried out hunting and cultivation activities in extended families. Three generations of the family lived together with each couple having one room in the home.
Polyphonic singing is one of the most well-known characteristics of the Bunun. Eight voices of different musical scale form an integrated, gentle chorus in prayer for a plentiful millet harvest. During the “boasting of achievements banquet”, men and women take turns standing in the center of a circle and saying their name and listing their achievements over the past year.
The Bunun is the only tribe to possess a calendar with icons to
mark farming and hunting activities, as well as important ceremonies such as the Ear Shooting Festival and Millet Planting Ceremony.
