The Bunun:
a Slow Triumph in the Face of Adversity
The Bunun people live in the central mountainous area in Taiwan, a subtropical, marine climate with the rainy season between June and August (World Factbook, 2014). They refer to each other as “Bunun” and this means “person” in their language, which is also called Bunun (Huang, 1996, pg 55). They were once known as headhunters, following this ritual to ensure a plentiful harvest (Yang, 2011, 317). In 1978 the Bunun made up 0.3% of the total population in Taiwan, or 32,000 Bunun peoples. They are the third largest Taiwanese indigenous groups and occupy the second largest area in Taiwan (Huang, 1996, pg 56). Some sources say, the current population of Taiwan is 98% Han Chinese and 2% aboriginal inhabitants, about 510,000 people.
The Bunun peoples have been assimilated by the Japanese and further shaped by local government, Christianity, the Catholic church, and the Han-Chinese. They have long struggled to keep up their many rituals and beliefs and cultural identity. The Bunun continue to reshape their traditions in the face of cultural oppression. The contemporary Bunun have faced many oppressors and have long struggled to retain their many rituals, beliefs, and cultural identity, which have been rendered increasingly weak, bastardized versions of their rich ancestral past.
Origin stories of the land describe a flood caused by large snake laying across a river, forcing their ancestors to move to higher ground to hunt. They were saved by an enormous crab rivaling the size of the snake, who used its pincers to cut the snake in half, draining the flooded land. Many people perished, but the flood finally subsided. When the Bunun ancestors returned to their land they found only o...
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Mabuchi, T. (1964). Tales concerning the Origin of Grains in the Insular Areas of Eastern and Southeastern Asia. Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 23, No. 1. Nanzan University. pp. 1-92 Retrieved on Febuary 23, 2014, from https://jstorproxy.tmcc.edu/stable/1177638
World Fact Book, (2014) retrieved on April 16, 2014, from, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html
Yang, S. (2011). Cultural Performance and the Reconstruction of Tradition among the Bunun of Taiwan. Oceania, 81(3), pp. 316-330. Retrieved on March 20, 2014 from, http://connection.ebscohost.com/
Yang, S. (2008). Christianity, Identity, and the Construction of Moral Community among the Bunun of Taiwan. Social Analysis, 52(3), pp. 51-74. Retrieved on March 20, 2014 from, http://connection.ebscohost.com/
One of the most interesting indigenous groups in the world is the Batek of Malaysia, this is a group of people that live in the oldest rain forest of peninsular Malaysia. Orang ASli means “Original people” in the native Malay Language, and they truly are the original people of the land. Being a nomadic group of hunters and gatherers, means that they are at the mercy of the land and the elements for survival. Batek beliefs note that, the rainforest was created by “superhuman” beings for the Batek to use and will destroy the world and everything on it if the Batek were ever to leave the rainforest ( K.M. Endcott 1979a; Lye 2004). The Batek believe that the “superhuman” beings created the forest for the Batek to harvest, build houses in, and provide also to decorations for their ceremonial rituals.
The Mbuti are one of the most fascinating of all the "uncivilized" peoples of the world. This tribe inhabits equatorial Africa near the city of Kisangani in Zaire in the Ituri rainforest. The Mbuti, being the smallest people on earth, live in the most inaccessible place on earth. An Mbuti tribe is almost impossible to find in such a dense forest. The tribe's men and women are only about four and a half foot tall yet they navigate though rich and dense forestry daily in the search for meat and fruit.
“The Sambia: Ritual, Sexuality, and Change in Papua New Guinea” is a book written by Gilbert Herdt. It is based on a case study Herdt did during the 1970’s of the culture of the Sambia people. His study took place in Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. He didn’t know much about their language, however through out his time there he was able to learn their language and customs. As he settled into their village, he mostly slept in the clubhouse with the other Nilangu villagers; however, eventually they built a house for him to stay at. Herdt had a great interest in gaining new knowledge about the Sambia culture.
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Bentley, Jerry H., and Herbert F. Ziegler. Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the past. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.
Every ancient society and civilization has creation myths that were passed down and keep alive throughout the passing of time by word of mouth. These myths are the world’s oldest stories and are vital to these cultures because they explain their beginnings and give purpose to their existence. By analyzing and interpreting different creation myths it becomes easier to understand different cultures and their connections and relationships with heir beliefs and god(s).
Five myths from throughout Africa will be mentioned throughout this essay. They are from the Boshongo, Mande, Shilluk, Egyptian, and Yoruba peoples. For a brief description of these myths please see the appendix. Please remember that these myths do not represent the beliefs and stories of all of Africa.
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other Native American tribes. Although first and foremost the Myth follows an emergence story of how
have a Buntu history. As you can see the people that make up the tribes of the
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The Ainu are the indigenous inhabitants of Hokkaido. Even there enacted the law for the promotion of the Ainu culture and language, Ainu people are still struggling for the full recognition and acceptance by Japanese society of their rights as an indigenous people. In addition, the Ainu people assimilated and integrated in the mainstream of the Japanese society, such as the security, job, education, employment, and social services are neglected from the government. The point is that the Japanese government regarding the Ainu policy is to preserve their unique culture. They should to recognize of the social status and social condition in order to improve the the Ainu people life. Moreover, the Japanese government set up the educational policy
Religion usually plays a big part in the cultures of the world and is the basis for their beliefs and values. In many countries religion is very important, so important that some cultures use it in every aspect of their lives. China l...