This is an exhibition about “relocation”. We will present seven stories about the relocating of indigenous peoples during different periods and the changes and transformations that took place at various levels, from ethnic groups and tribes to individual indigenous people. We will look at how history, like a force of destiny, has displaced indigenous peoples, sweeping them along not only geographically, but also in terms of identity and emotions. We will listen as indigenous people share their perspectives on life.

These authentic life accounts and historical memories were penned by nine indigenous peoples’ cultural centers in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. The curators of these cultural centers as well as indigenous people carried out field interviews and collected historical information, bringing together many voices in the process, and collaborated with the National Museum of Taiwan History to create this exhibition. This exhibition is not only about indigenous peoples. It is the story of each person that longs to understand the events that took place on this piece of land. Let us set out to explore and share this story. 

• Unit 1: Tribes Looking Back

These are stories about how tribes maintain and manage their local identity and memories in their new place of residence after being relocated as a result of governmental policies.

• The Road Home-The Tjailjaking Tribe

This account is about a tribe that was formed as a result of Japanese government policies and the road they traveled together in their new land. 

The Tjailjaking Tribe was formed of individuals that previously belonged to other tribes in Dewen Village, but were later merged together as a result of the Japanese mass village relocation policy. After arriving in their new location, the Tjailjaking people engaged in agricultural and labor activities for several generations, shaping memories and identities of different generations for this land.

• A Long Way-The Pailjus Tribe

This is an account of the displacement of a tribe from its land and recollections of the old tribal life.

Beginning in 1959, as a result of the Nationalist government’s Aboriginal Reserves Policy, the Pailjus Tribe was moved and merged with the Maljeveq Tribe, creating Nanhe Village, forcing the people to undergo a great deal of change in terms of culture and way of life. Let’s consider at the memories of members of the Pailjus Tribe as they recall their earlier home.

• Unit 2: From Country to City

These stories demonstrate how tribal communities form their own unique ways of life when they are driven by market forces to urban areas.

• Stone Slate Houses in the City-Craftsmen from the Mountains

In the 1930s, there were a few traditional stone slate houses in Pingtung City north of Pingtung Park as the city was striving to modernize. These Paiwan-style structures were constructed by the Japanese and were referred to as “aborigine houses” (バンオク). Aborigine houses and a local crafts information center, both marked on an old historical Pingtung map, were considered important by the government because of their importance as tourist attractions. They can be considered the earliest aboriginal culture parks and were must-see tourist spots of a century ago. They also house prized photographs of visitors, from Japanese royalty and local gentry to students on field trips. On the other hand, they are also displays of the colonization of indigenous peoples by the Japanese government.

From the perspective of indigenous peoples, these locations are inextricably linked to the life experiences of the aboriginal craftsmen who relocated from their homeland to Pingtung. Academic literature and fieldwork are gradually causing their memories to materialize before our eyes.

• Urban Struggles-The Ngudradrekai, People from the Mountains

From the records of three individuals who relocated from Vedai Tribe to the city, we learn about the reality of the lives of indigenous people living in cities and their cultural resilience.

From the 1960s to the 1990s, many young Ngudradrekai of Wutai Township, Pingtung County elected to leave their hometowns and take up residence in urban areas. They did so for a variety of reasons, such as work, schooling, and medical care. Despite language barriers, lack of familiarity with the surroundings, and differences in customs, the community’s spirit of mutual assistance, solidarity, and sharing enabled members to gradually adapt to city life and develop a Ngudradrekai culture suited to the local environment.

• Paiwan in the City-Vusam a kemasi kuabar

This story is about the experience of those relocated from the Kuabar Tribe to Yongkang, Tainan. In 1972, Typhoon Rita wreaked havoc on the Kuabar Tribe in Pingtung’s Chunri Township. For survival and economic reasons, many members of the tribe moved to Yongkang, Tainan where they strived to lay down roots and pass down their culture. “Vusam a kemasi Kuabar” means “Seeds from Kuabar”. The journey of the members of the Kuabar Tribe that relocated to Yongkang manifest the value they place on “vusam”.

• Unit 3: In Search of Roots

These stories highlight how indigenous people search for their lost roots in the face of irresistible historical trends.

• Land of the First Awakening-The Story of Recovering the Sapediq

Let us try to recover the story of the Sapediq community that was forgotten as the result of war.The Sapediq community, once consisted of 19 tribes, was scattered after the Japanese implemented the mass village relocation policy in the wake of the Mudan Incident. Partners at the Shizi Township Heritage Museum have attempted to recover our understanding of the Sapediq using an old map indicating the northward movements during the Mudan Incident.

• The People Blessed by Takiarʉ - Exploring the Story of the Hla’alua

Today’s Hla’alua people-the children of the Takiarʉ, are the end result of the change and immutability their people experienced over the course of their relocations over time. The Hla’alua are a river people. They lived on arable land along the west side of the Laonong River in the Taoyuan District in Kaohsiung City. As they relocated, they came across other indigenous peoples and engaged in cultural exchanges. Once categorized by the government as part of the Tsou people, the Hla’alua were not recognized as a separate people until 2014. Today, the Hla’alua primarily live in Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan and Namaxia Districts. A few reside in Sanmin Township.