排灣，是臺灣少數民族中人口數字居第二的族群，主要分佈在屏東縣、臺東縣。依其聚居分佈區域的不同將其分為北排灣、中排灣、南排灣、東排灣四個群落。
排灣，意指祖先最早發源的地方。排灣氏族歷史傳説中認為，人類的誕生分別來自太陽、百步蛇、陶壺三種途徑，其一是“太陽説”，相信人類是太陽所生的卵孵化而成的；其二是“壺生説”，認為陽光照射到陶壺，使陶壺破裂生出人類的始祖；其三“百步蛇説”，認為人類是由百步蛇的卵孵化而成的。但無論傳説中人的起源是什麼，排灣人對百步蛇都是崇敬有加。
排灣人傳統上是以狩獵火耕維生，其氏族制度是臺灣少數民族最具典型意義的貴族社會。部落的領土屬於一個或數個頭目，頭目則因為向平民徵稅，而必須承擔撫恤孤寡、急難救助的義務。氏族內部實行長嗣繼承制度，頭目家的長嗣繼承世襲頭目職位，其餘的子女若沒有機會與其他頭目聯姻，三代以後就會變成平民。不過頭目不能干涉部落公共事務，而是由平民階級自治。因此，部落內部是不論階級高低，由族人們推選年長者或賢達人士組成部落會議，選出幹練的人擔任行政領袖。頭目雖是世代相傳的地主，但部落實際的公共事務，則由平民自治推選出來的人進行管理，頗具民主社會的風格。
排灣人依循著歲時季節的變換舉行不同的祭典。五年祭，是排灣最負盛名且儀式嚴謹的祭典，從迎請神靈開始到最後送靈儀式結束，時間長達6個月之久。隨著時代改變，目前這種儀式只能在屏東縣來義鄉、春日鄉和臺東縣達仁鄉土板部落中才能見到。
Paiwan
The Paiwan is currently the second largest of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes, and is distributed in Pingtung and Taitung counties. Anthropologists divide this tribe into four groups: northern, central, southern and eastern Paiwan.
There are three tribal legends that relate how the tribe began. One says that the first members of the tribe were born from eggs hatched by the sun, another says that they were born from a large ceramic vessel that cracked open when the sun’s rays shone upon it and the third says that they are the descendants of the hundred-pace pit viper, an animal that the tribe holds in reverence still today.
The Paiwan traditionally hunted and carried out cultivation. They possess a strict hierarchy, in which a person’s class is decided by birth. Each village has one or a number of chieftains. The chieftains are the landlords of the village and collect a portion of the crops grown by commoners. Chieftains have the responsibility to support the widows and orphans and to provide assistance in the event of a disaster. The firstborn of the chieftain will inherit the title. If the remaining children do not marry into other chieftain clans after three generations they will be considered commoners. However, the chieftain does not oversee the government of the village. This is handled by the commoners who elect the members of a governing council.
