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Hong Yeh Elementary School (2004 CyberFair Project ID 3369)
Taiwan,
Wanrong Shiang,
Hualien
Official Status:
Final Project: Ready for Judging
Teacher:
Category: 2. Community Groups and Special Populations
We estimate 8 student(s) from 11 to 12 will work on this entry.
Description of Our Community: Hualien County Wanrong Township Ma Yuan Elementary School is a Bunun school. MaYuan Village is the only Bunun community in Wanrong County, and belongs to take Yatan of Bunun. Although there are less than one hundred households living at the community, the traditions of Bunun and the courage to contend with the nature has been persisted until today. The meaning of Bunun is actually “men” or “humankind”. Among nine tribes in Taiwan, Bunun is a tribe of high mountains. Over half of it 33,000 population live in areas at 1,000 to 1,500m elevation mountains, as the tribe living in the highest area among all Southeast Asian tribes. Bunun’s vigorous activeness and mobility make many qualified high mountainous guides.
Project Description: The social structure of Bunun is complicated and microcosmic. The multi-feature patriarchal society has maintained the primitive clan system. In a typical extended family, there are often twenty or thirty members, or even over sixty in some families. The grandfather is the head of the family with the highest power. However, different from other races, Bunun does not encourage heroic expression of individuals; instead, the power of the spirits of individuals is praised in the group. Culture is life, also the accumulation of life wisdom. Only with rich culture could one race continue to survive. Therefore, it can be said that the existence of a race is a manifestation of the cultural heritage. Although we admit that the culture itself has to survive and grow by absorbing and integrating new knowledge, the cultural development progress in Taiwan only revealed the indifferent and distorted treatment experienced by the indigenous culture. The overall environment forces the indigenes living at the periphery of the resource allocation, and losing their confidence when facing the interference of the external force. As the culture of life gradually fades, the indigenous culture is destined to disappear. This project aims to incorporate with homeland teaching activity to explore the culture of Bunun.