Martin, Steven Andrew
(2011)
Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu) – The Last Frontier Of
The Taiwan Aborigines During The Japanese
Occupation On Taiwan: Ethnographic
Narratives Of A Bunun Elder.
International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAPS), 7 (1).
pp. 123-142.
ISSN ISSN: 1823-6243
Abstract
The Bunun are one of the indigenous groups of Taiwan that have a rich history of
living in the high-mountains. The region of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu) was once a
group of mountain villages and among the last frontier areas to be annexed into
Imperial Japan in Taiwan. The remoteness of the region, coupled with the late
arrival of Japanese forces, afforded the Bunun children of that time to have a
lifestyle, where they participated in and observed their indigenous way of life.
This research is an oral ethnography of Langus Istanda, born in 1920,
remembering first hand the arrival of the Japanese police and experienced the
forced extradition of her family from their region. The research finds that the
informant's childhood memories are generally positive, inasmuch as she tells
stories of games, adventures, a safe and comfortable environment, and a sense of
wonder for the modernity of the Japanese culture; yet her memories move to a
negative tone regarding the forced relocations and the period of illness and death
of friends and relatives. The research indicates that the Laipunuk Bunun have
endured constant pressure from external forces and, as a direct result, have
undergone acute social, cultural, and linguistic degradation from the loss of their
native homelands.
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[img]](http://eprints.usm.my/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png)
