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Hong Yeh Elementary School (2005 CyberFair Project ID 3679)
Taiwan,
Wanrong Shiang,
Hualien
Official Status:
Final Project: Ready for Judging
Teacher:
Category: 8. Local Music and Art Forms
We estimate 19 student(s) from 10 to 11 will work on this entry.
Description of Our Community: Hualien is previously an indigenous residence, where indigenes account for one fourth of the population. Ma Yuan Elementary School in Wanrong Township, Hualien County is a Bunun school, and Ma Yuan Village is also the only Bunun community in Wanrong Township. We belong to take Yatan of Bunun. Though there are less than one hundred families, we stand rock-firmly in the modern society with our traditional fortitudinous spirit and the courage of competing with the natural. Culture is life, and it is also the accumulation of living wisdom. Only with rich ethical culture, can this clan survive continuously. Therefore the existence of the clan is to reveal the value of traditional culture. Though we admit that only when the traditional culture itself continuously absorbs and syncretizes can it survive and grow, it is a pity that in the developing process of Taiwan holistic culture, we realize that the treatment of Taiwan indigenous culture is being neglected and distorted. The whole macro environment makes the indigenous long live in the edge of resource distribution. When faced with intervention from outside force, they will lose their “confidence”, and the living culture will vanish completely, which urges the culture of indigenous to come to an end. Taiwan is a multi-culture society. It is our hope to find out everything that we once had to enable us and the next generation to enjoy the treasure left by our ancestor through this special research.
Project Description: Bunun people prefer songs to music instruments. Songs are collective creations and indispensable factor in Bunun people’s traditional lives. With its unique music style and form, Bunun songs have won undisputable fame among various Taiwanese aboriginals. Without grand dancing steps or the company of various instruments, Bunun music is famous among Taiwanese aboriginals for its unique and very primitive instrument --- mouth. Bunun people’s piety to the god is expressed by their harmonious voices. Our Bunun community was immigrated from take vatan, Nantou County to Mayuan in 1934. Though it was a hard journey, our world-famous singing skill --- synaeresis revived its vigor with the efforts of Priest Yan and Qiu-mei Jian. We sing psalm in eight-part harmony in our weekly party and go to other places to perform. In the future, we will learn to sing and appreciate the eight-part harmony, listen to Bunun legends and understand the implications of our traditional clothes as well as the snake totem. The sense of accomplishment and recognition would make us very proud. It can be taken as a magnificent cultural inheritance and experience. The beautiful songs are still echoing in the valley. Every time we hear it, we would like to do something for the tribe. we sincere hope that “the Call of the Mountains” could be our humble repayment.