Plains Indigenous peoples

Plains indigenous peoples, also known as Pingpu people, are one of the groups of Taiwanese indigenous peoples. They originally lived in the lowland areas of Taiwan, different from the Highland indigenous peoples. They are part of the larger Austronesian family, which includes many groups across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

From the 17th century onward, these people faced influence and changes from Dutch, Spanish, and Han Chinese settlers. Over time, many of their traditions and languages mixed with Han Chinese culture, making it hard to see their unique identity today.

Today, the Taiwan government recognizes them as Pingpu Indigenous People, but only one group, the Kavalan, has full rights. In recent years, historians and anthropologists have started studying them more, and they continue to work for their rights and recognition. In 2016, promises were made to officially recognize these groups, and work on this continues. As of 2012, about 80,000 people were identified as Plains Indigenous, with around 200,000 being their descendants.

Background

The Plains indigenous peoples are groups of people who originally lived in the flat, low areas of Taiwan, not in the mountains. They are part of a big language family called Austronesian. There were eight to twelve different groups of these people.

At first, Chinese leaders made rules to help these groups. But over time, more and more Chinese people moved to Taiwan. This made it hard for the Plains indigenous peoples to keep their land and way of life. Many of them had to change their clothes, names, and customs to fit in with the Chinese people.

Because of mixing between Chinese settlers and Plains indigenous peoples, many people in Taiwan today might not know they have ancestors from these groups. Some people are now working hard to learn more about their history and culture.

Plains Indigenous Peoples Recognition Movement

For a long time, not many people paid attention to the history of these groups. But recently, people have started to learn more about them. Some teachers are sharing the old languages and traditions. There have also been events to celebrate their culture.

People from these groups have been asking the government to officially recognize them as Taiwan’s indigenous peoples. Some areas of Taiwan have started to recognize certain groups.

Classification

Plains indigenous peoples have been grouped in different ways over time. The Dutch separated them by where they lived. During Qing rule, Huang Shujing grouped all Taiwanese indigenous peoples into thirteen groups based on where they lived.

During Japanese rule, scientists began to study Plains indigenous peoples more carefully. They found that these peoples were not one group but many different groups with their own languages and cultures.

Ethnographer Ino Kanori was the first to create a modern way to group Plains indigenous peoples. He listed groups such as Makattao, Siraya, Loa, and others. Since then, many scholars have tried to decide exactly how many groups there are, but there is still no full agreement. Some debates include whether certain groups should be counted separately or together.

Main peoples

Culture

Hunting, fishing, and agriculture

Before new people arrived, the Plains indigenous peoples lived by farming, fishing, and hunting. They grew just enough food for themselves, with taros and yams being important foods. They used simple tools like sticks and spades for farming, traps, spears, and arrows for hunting, and nets, baskets, and arrows for fishing. Men usually did the fishing and hunting, while women took care of farming. They mainly hunted deer and wild boars, making sure to keep the balance of nature by not hunting young deer.

Matriarchal society

The Plains indigenous peoples had a society where women often led the family and managed important household matters. After marriage, men would live with their wives and help the wife’s family with work. Women were in charge of family property and passing down family lines, and they also led religious activities, while men handled political matters.

In their traditions, young people were free to choose their partners. There were special gatherings where they could meet potential partners, or they could spend time together privately. If a boy liked a girl, he would play his harmonica constantly in front of her house. If she liked him back, they would go on dates and exchange gifts to show their commitment.

Tribal systems

Even though women had a higher status in families, in the tribal system men were considered more important. Tribes were seen as one group, and the oldest member would become the leader. Elders would attend community meetings where they would choose a chief to lead the tribe. These elders also helped solve problems within and outside the tribe.

Ritual ceremonies

The Plains indigenous peoples held special ceremonies several times a year to honor nature and their ancestors. They believed strongly in respecting their ancestors. During these ceremonies, people would gather in the tribe’s center, called kunghsieh, to drink, sing, dance, and celebrate. Their songs were usually happy until new people arrived, and then they began to sing sad songs to express their feelings of losing their way of life.

Geopolitical culture

Even though they had different cultures and languages, the Plains indigenous peoples shared a common way of protecting their villages in the seventeen hundreds. They built strong defenses using bamboo or wooden walls to guard their homes. For example, in 1630, the people of Mattau village built a strong double wall filled with clay, along with a moat and other protective structures.

Surnames

Surnames were important in Plains indigenous culture. Over time, they adopted Chinese surnames, but some unique surnames developed that mixed their own influences with Chinese ones. Some of these special surnames include 月, 邦, 宜, 機, 翼, 力, 卯, 茆, 同, 念, 東, 岩, 哀, 曷, 埕, 買, 猴, 標, 紅, 雙, 角, 楓, 詩, 樟, 墜, 雛, 乃, 味, 毒, 陣, 盂, 解, 棹, 永, 湖, 振, 偕, 嘪, 掌, 奚, 詠, 倚, 竭, 北, 六, 水, 麗, 崗, 崑, 桌, 牙, 陀, 秘, 烏, 新, 糠, 長, 萇, and 霜.

Recent developments

In 2010, representatives of Plains indigenous peoples in Taiwan sent an official complaint to the United Nations in Geneva. They felt it was unfair that these groups were not formally recognised by the Republic of China government. They asked to be officially recognised as Taiwanese Indigenous People and part of the Austronesian family. However, the United Nations turned down their complaint. In response, a special group called the "Pingpu Affairs Task Force" was formed by the Executive Yuan to address issues related to Plains indigenous peoples.

Genetic research led by Marie Lin from Mackay Memorial Hospital suggested that many people in Taiwan may have ancestry from Plains indigenous groups, even if they are not officially recognised. Later studies, however, showed that most Taiwanese people are mainly of mainland Chinese ancestry, with only small amounts of indigenous genes. Some people have used these ideas to support a unique Taiwanese identity, but this has caused disagreement among Plains indigenous communities.