School: Lijia Primary School
    Taitung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

16 students, ages 10-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 10, 2003. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2003

Classes and Teachers: Mr. Ma Chien-chin, Ms. Tsai Shu-ling and Ms. Tsai Pei-fen

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.ljps.ttct.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

Puyuma, one of the native people in Taiwan. Likavong, an ancient village of stone-born clan of Puyuma, has over 60% of Puyuma population. Formerly known as Rikahong, Rikabong, Lijia and Likavong. It means ‘where the big hat is’ in Puyuma language. It is located on the edge of Taitung plain, southern hill of east rift valley with broad field of view. Because of the numerous battles occurred between the tribe and outside clans during the ancient times, it is the mysterious and dread force in Puyuma. Tribal heritage has gradually died away in Kominka Period and Mandarin popularization campaign after WWII, and is now in jeopardy.

2. Summary of Our Project

In attempt to answer the question “what have we done to better understand the tribal culture?” we present to you our thoughts and the information we have thoughtfully collected. From literature review, field research, and interviews, we have relived the history; from partaking, narration by parents or older siblings, and meticulous observation, we have recognized the dilemma of today; from others’ experience, we have come to realize our future direction. As conveyed in the subheading ‘Exploring the origination & development of Likavong’, we have placed emphasis on ‘exploration’ of the development of Puyuma, which isn’t to be concluded within one hour or by single individual. Therefore, we present you the culture of Puyuma, the historical background and field research on Likavong, as well as the changes to their lives today. Most importantly, to answer the question, “what have we done?” with the information we searched and collected, our explorative experience, and the apprehension we achieved from the exploration.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dial-up modem

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

The team members occupied the computer classroom during the third period, where some even stayed for the whole day. We would like to apologize to students of other classes. Some team members email the typed information to the advisors or post the information on the bulletin board from home; some use the computers at faculty computer room when teachers are on duty.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

★Computer application and learning

Because of the instructional facility in Tai-tung is not comparable to that of southern or northern Taiwan. Students had several problems to learn about computer application. Such as we always had the difficulty to read uppercase & lowercase. To smoothen the communication throughout the process, we utilized free online resources to communicate with each other and submit our works. We spent much time on Register, Email, Attachment, and Submission of application. Besides, we spent much time on typing to get familiar with keyboards, and learn the skills to use bulletin board, chat room, and file sharing.

★Communicating with tribal natives

We bothered the tribal natives so many times that they started to complain about the strange works Mr. Ma assigned. We would also like to acknowledge all those who have offered help during the course of research.

★Information gathering and organization

At the initial stage, we had no idea where to start because there is scarce information available on Puyuma or Likavong. We spent even more time on collecting and compilation the information. It was very hard work!

★Operation of equipment

We had to use camera, recorder, copy machine, and other equipment throughout the course of research. Due to our poor technique or the quality of those machines, learned the lessons from operation that we practice much times for the good works.

★Deadline and push for deadline

Though it is a work of team, some students could never meet the deadlines, regardless how hard Mr. Ma pushes. We were always far behind our schedule.

★Format, input, and play of audio files

We never used audio files before, so formatting audio files was extremely challenging to us. It even took Mr. Ma 10 days to figure out.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Through the involvement, interview, and research, we have gained fundamental understanding on the cultural history of Puyuma and Likavong. We hope more people can be inspired to appreciate and care about the tribal culture due to our efforts.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Integrating this project with nine-year comprehensive curriculum, which is our new educational principle. The now flexible curriculum emphasizes on comprehension of the local culture under the concept of integral nationality, and then development of worldview. Project ‘When Likavong Was Young ~ Exploring the origination & development of Likavong.’ is an official curriculum of this class (Class A of fifth grade). It aims to encourage students’ active research of Puyuma tribal culture.

We learn how to gather and organize data, time management, and involvement in tribal affairs actively. In addition to, we also learned the organizational communication, appointment arrangement. We learned how to use information technique as well. We got the idea of in what role Likavong played in Puyuma, and the origination, development, special rituals of our tribe.

We the faculty believes that school is a ‘tree grown in the community’. For the ‘tree’ to grow well, it is necessary for it to absorb nutrients from the Mother Nature (the community). The school and community are indeed one entity, so students must learn about the culture and environment of the community. Only through thoughtful and systematic guidance and assistance from teachers can the students appreciate and recognize the community. Jane Goodall, renowned conservationist, calls upon our attention, ‘only with understanding can we care, only with care can we act, only we act can life has hope’. We are planting the seeds of hope.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

★Reference books and data

The citation of writing, photos, or composition on this website is specified on each page. Information (picture and description) and layout that shows no indication of the source is original interview, record, and creation produced by the teachers and students of this team.

★Hardwar

[ VQ680 Digital Still Camera ] Digital camera -Taking photos of the research process and for website content.

[ TOSHIBA Voice Bar DMR1800V ] Digital recorder -Activity and voice recording.

[ Panasonic KX-T7350 ] Telephone -Communicate with interviewers telephone.

[ YAMAHA CVP-10 ]Digital piano -Input of composed music digital piano.

[ Gestetner 2740Z ]Copy machine -Photocopy of reference data and records, questionnaires.

[ Mustek BearPaw 1200CU ] Scanner -Scan photos and files.

★Software

[ Ulead PhotoImpact 8 ] Image process

[ Ulead GIF Animator 5 ] Animation design

[ Voice Manager VM100 V1.0 ] Input of voice recorder

[ Windows Media On-Demand Producer ] Converting WAV format to stream media format

[ Happy Musician V.1 ] Software for composing and playing MIDI music

[ MS Word2000 ] Data input, establish word files

[ MS Frontpage 2000 ] Website design

★Online resources

[ Hotmail ]

-Email system: team members are required to set email accounts for the contest.

-Joint task: membership registration, use emails to communication with each other and upload files.

[ Yahoo-Kimo Groups & Free Website]

-To establish subject group: include backup bulletin board, photo album, submit works and save files.

-Set up secondary backup site: set up the secondary backup site for the website project.

-Joint task: membership registration, upload files, information management (team leader and assistant leader are the administrators).

[ Lijia Primary School Server ]

-Set up primary backup site: set up the primary ackup site for the website project.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

All team members are elementary school students, and people they have regular contact with are their parents, relatives, neighbors, or friends. One of their missions is to introduce Cyberfair and explain the objective of interview to their acquaintance (interview skills are practiced in advance).

Group interviews were arranged by Chian-hui and Yi-wen via telephone or in person; individual members via telephone or in person arranged personal interviews. Their parents, neighbors, or friends introduced some interviewers to them.

Mr. Kao De-ye’s manuscript was scanned into electronic format and translated by Ms. Tsai Shu-ling’s friend, Ms. Chang Feng-you. The entire process was completed via email.

Various opinions on cultural development of Puyuma were obtained by the following means:

1. Interview: tribal legend research, field research

2. Questionnaire: questionnaire on recognition of tribal culture

3. Reproduction of tribal map

4. Cultural experience events, and picnic activity

5. Participation in ritual

6. Tribal exploration

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

★ The contribution of our subject research:

For our study, we simply re-built and conclude the history of our tribe. We also do the compartment of the origination, legend, and the ritual between our tribe and others. Besides, we found out the differences of the ritual between present and past. Moreover, because of our study and research, our native people began to exam our own culture and those treasure tradition of our own.

★Better understanding of tribal culture:

We were seldom in touch with tribal culture unless during the masalut ritual. Through this project, we had an opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Puyuma and its tribes in a systematic manner. The narration by elders has enhanced students’ consensus to tribal culture.

★Changes to our lives: [ selected piece ]

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Coco, message left on the bulletin board at 11:34:12 AM, on 2003/1/16

All of my family members though Mr. Ma was troublesome, they complained, ‘why do we need to be in this project.’ But Mr. Ma told us that, ‘we need to visit Senator Chiang and Doctor Gan, and we will take photos with them and hear some stories about Puyuma’. Mr. Ma even told us to make the visits at night. But I need to cook, take shower, and eat dinner; I have no spare time at time. All residents of this community thought Mr. Ma was troublesome, and couldn’t understand why the students had to enter contest aside from regular schoolwork.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

[ Senator Chiang Chian-shou ] 1.Provided photos and related materials of masalut ritual 2.Narrated origination and features of masalut ritual 3.Narrated legends of Likavong ritual and its difference with other tribes 4.Narrated the process and reasons of ritual ceremony

[ Doctor Gan Gong-rong ] 1.Provided photos of the ancient house 2.Narrated the story of Gong-rong Hospital and the old fig tress, and provided photos and related materials

[ Grandma Kao Yeh-lan, Mr. Kao Wei-ye ] 1.Provided books concerning Puyuma and Likavong (important historical data) 2.Provided chanting of traditional music 3.Provided manuscript of Grandpa Kao De-ye

[ Ms. Kong Bai-he ] 1.Provide the money, negatives and disks that we needed for the research

[ Grandpa Chiang Hsie-hsiung ] 1.Provided instrumental version of the two music compositions 2.Assisted in traditional music performance by the school choir [ Palakuwan Management Association ] 1.The masalut ritual organized by Palakuwan Management, associated provided us the invaluable experience of ritual

[ Grandma Chiang and other residents of the community ] 1.Narrated stories of Likavong and cultural customs of Puyuma 2.Provided students all necessary assistance to participate in masalut ritual 3.Participated in livelihood interviews 4.Completed questionnaires 5.Provided aged photos 6.Narrated the difference of lifestyle between the present and the past [ Ms. Chang Feng-you ] 1.Translated the manuscript of Mr. Kao De-ye

[ Forest Elementary School teachers and students ] 1.The outside visitors prepared us for studying tribal culture 2.To ensure good interaction, we design tribal culture activities, including picnic and games 3.For their convenience, we reproduced tribal map [ Students of Lijia Primary School ] 1.Yu-chiao Hwang -Keyed in MIDI music with Yi-wen Lai using software 2.Yi-ru Wu -Accompanied during interview with Doctor Gan and assisted in photographing

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

★I thought my task was easy, yet it was not. When I talked to Senator Chiang, I was so nervous that I almost cried. Now I know things are not as easy as they appear to be! （Yi-wen）

★I found out that Puyuma boys started to receive trainings when they are only in second or third grade. They have to protect the children and women of Likavong. When Bunun warriors, enemy of Puyuma, would attack Puyuma who is walking alone, so boys of Puyuma are trained at young age. （Kwan-ying）

★I didn’t expect much from this project in the beginning, but I gained so much knowledge on traditional culture. I learned about traditions of Puyuma, heard stories of masalut ritual and mangamangayau, and realized the training received by and hardship of Puyuma warriors. （Wen Li）

★Someone participated in hunting. So we were excited to see him slaughtering the boar with a knife. （Cheng-hao）

★Puyuma traveled from Southern Island to the place of origin between Tamili and Chihpen. Some clans migrated from the place of origin to Likavong in later years. Masalut ritual is an annual event that celebrates the harvest of millet, corn, and vegetables. The ritual has passed down from generation to generation until the descendants gave up the traditions. （Chia-yu）

★My most unforgettable event in mangamangayau was racing. I was so grateful to be the tenth place. I will travel from Hwalien to participate in masalut next year. (Ting-wu)

★I think the significance of masalut ritual is remembrance of every effort by our ancestors. （Shao-hua）