（本文接續上篇〈回應〈大禮大同部落的危機〉（上）：你參加的是真正的生態旅遊嗎？〉） 接著我們試著來談太魯閣族文化。 是的，這麼重要的詞彙，幾乎不可能也不該輕易用文字去說明定義的，但因為廖先生說他很失望，在山上看不見太魯閣族的文化，所以我們想試著談談看什麼是太魯閣族的文化。非原住民／主流社會對原住民族的想像或刻板印象大概不脫傳統歌舞、傳統服飾、傳統住屋、特殊風味餐食等這些「看得見」且相對傳統的有形文化，然而以大同大禮山上舊部落來說，族人們並無刻意為了觀光客而展示這些看得見的東西，相反地，族人其實就生活在太魯閣族的文化當中。
《更生日報》自 102 年 12 月 23 日起連續 4 日，於副刊（第 11 版）以近乎全版的極大版面刊登由民眾廖榮野先生所寫之〈大禮大同部落的危機〉一文（後改文章標題為〈走訪大禮大同部落〉），此文在大同大禮部落、太魯閣族內部社群及長期關心大同大禮部落事務的各方好友之間引起極大討論。 之所以引發討論的原因是，文中廖先生在未深入了解大同大禮部落之歷史、文化及族群內涵的前提下，稍嫌草率地對同禮部落提出許多「批評指教」，甚至以自己的刻板印象及主觀想像來詮釋其在旅程當中所看到的種種，文中有諸多論點與事實有所出入，許多描述更有誤導不曾聽過同禮部落甚至太魯閣族的一般讀者對部落及族人產生負面印象之嫌。
原文標題為〈生命來的地方 -從起源開始 [談-太魯閣族與樹的連結]〉，獲得原作者東冬侯溫（太魯閣族）授權轉載。
「渾沌太古之初，天地沒有光，沒有生命，也沒有人。於是三位來自神之國（靈界）的天神，兩男ㄧ女，在神聖的半樹半石（註一）開啓了神之國與人間連結的出入口。 有ㄧ位男神看見這世界什麼都沒有，覺得無趣，就回去來的地方；而留下來的天神是ㄧ對男女。於是神賦與了這世界各種生命，並繁衍了神的子孫，也就是我們人。 當時的人們有各種祝福與能力，直到人出現了貪婪、慾望以及傲慢，導致我們失去了美妙與神奇的力量……」 這是太魯閣族祖先口傳已久的生命起源神話。然而那個至美之地沒有消失，只是我們與祂分離了 －－ 只有在肉身死去時，靈魂踏上彩虹（光）橋時，經由祖靈在橋的另ㄧ端審視我們是否在人間完成淨化，是否透過生活依循 Gaya（宇宙的法則）回歸到最質樸純粹的生命本質之後，我們才能回到靈的世界。 其中神話中提到，帶來生命的神祖以根源之樹作為祂們來到人間的空間出入口，也同時將靈界的神聖與莊嚴給予了那些存在於自然界中巨大而古老的樹。於是當獵人看見森林裡的大樹都會忍不住，敬畏地說： 「這樹呀，比我的祖輩還古老！看見這樹，我就想起那些在靈界觀視我們的祖先們！」 由此看來，歲月而累積的記憶與情感，將會在人遇見樹的那ㄧ刻全部湧現。那是ㄧ種無聲的感動與震撼，是ㄧ種與大自然交流的形式。這樹呀，比我的祖輩還古老！看見這樹，我就想起那些在靈界觀視我們的祖先們！
在之後的歲月裡，太魯閣族人對於樹的記憶與情感，也逐漸匯入了巨木在自然生活中守護族人的角色。 在過去，族人通常不會移動巨大的倒木，因為巨大的倒木可以作為獵人臨時的避難之所，利用樹幹下的凹處或洞穴來抵禦寒冷，而像檜木等如此不易腐爛且堅硬的木頭，還能成為抵擋土石的屏障，若是掉落溪流之處，則有穩定河床的效用。 自始至終，樹對於族人來說，都是生命得以開始並得以延續的根源。然而後人對樹的不當處理，卻違背了這森林的古老智慧。 早在民國 79 年因歐菲莉颱風來襲，造成銅門部落土石流，死傷多人，許多族人因而被迫遷村，許多部落傳統領域也被列為土石流警戒區。部落在面對該次的慘痛事件，對於生存空間的憂慮，以及山林水土保持的疑慮，始終憂心忡忡。 於是乎數天前當林務局被族人發現欲運載數棵紅檜及扁柏等珍貴原木出部落（銅門部落，註二）時，才會引起族人如此大的恐慌。姑且不論林務局是清理風倒木亦或是砍伐生立木，都已經嚴重破壞森林及水土保持。此外此項作業完全沒有知會部落族人，也讓族人感覺傳統領域不被尊重，《原基法》形同虛設。 如此看來，過去林務局以清理為名義「清理倒木」，實則是讓大自然可以自行穩定與守護的機制失衡。這中間存在多少貪婪的利益以及缺少山林智慧的人為因素？ 我們部落絕對不會是唯一，這議題也絕不會到現在才發生。 有位ㄧ同參與守護行動的 80 歲 baki（太魯閣語，指祖父輩）連續陪伴了我們好幾天，卻不幸在 12 月 29 日下午昏迷。就在倒下前，他曾於接受訪問時說道：「這些祖先木頭ㄧ定要留在部落，要不然我會很難過……」 對，部落族人的訴求如此乾淨：要將這些巨木留在部落！我們要紀念這次的抗爭，要以這些樹木警惕人們：要記得那些因土石流而死傷的族人，要哀悼因買賣而被破壞的山林！如此純粹卻如此悲傷呀！這不止是議題，不只是為了權益，更喚醒那個屬於人與自然古老的記憶，從神話開始到祖先記憶，直至守護山林。 註一：太魯閣語：Pusu Qhuni，也就是位於白石山的根源之樹，或稱為牡丹岩。 註二：太魯閣語：Knkreygan。以清理為名義「清理倒木」，實則是讓大自然可以自行穩定與守護的機制失衡。這中間存在多少貪婪的利益以及缺少山林智慧的人為因素？
鄉親喔～～～跨年要去哪？還在台北 101 或墾丁？落伍了啦！！！
現在最夯的，就是到水美水優的山區部落，跟來自各部落的歌手、藝術家和文化創作者齊聚，同時還可以行動支持部落議題…… 來吧，12/31 一起來來花蓮秀林的銅門部落跨年！ 
想隨時看更多原住民的新聞和故事嗎？
現在就加入我們的粉絲團吧！
圖片來源：Fate1999（CC Licensed）]]>
We’re driving through a huge Taiwanese cemetery full of marble Buddhist style tombstones. Leo, our guide, tells me people in the island call cemeteries night clubs, since all the ghosts are said to appear here at night. Taiwanese people are very superstitious and its one of the reasons why they don’t linger for long in cemeteries.
你知道泰雅族、賽德克族，還有太魯閣族這些「彩虹民族」在服裝設計上的共同點是什麼？
「祖靈之眼！」「帶著祖靈之眼，才能找到祖先並相認。」
那三族的服飾，又有何不同呢？Do you know what is the feature in common of the clothing design of the Peoples of Rainbow, i.e. Tayal, Seediq, and Truku?
“The Eyes of Ancestral Spirits! (the diamond patterns on the cloth)” “With the Eyes of Ancestral Spirits on the clothes, we could eventually be recognized by our ancestors after we die.”
And what is the difference of the clothing design of the three?
“Truku people like to put “the Eyes of Ancestral Spirits” on the pure white cloth to show “purity”.”
“Tayal people have an abundance of clothing design, but most of them are based on red color, which means enthusiasm, blood, and the extension of life and generation. The red color has the function to drive out evil spirits as well.”
“Seediq people like lighter hues and decorate them with “the Eyes of Ancestral Spirits”.”
For more interesting stories of Taiwanese indigenous people?
Follow us now on our fan page! Source & Photo via 《原美學工坊》A weaver born on a mountain road
Thus told us Miciq Rangi as one of the Peoples of Rainbow, a Truku fashion designer from Eastern Taiwan about the rich knowledge of her own cultures.
‘miciq’ sounds like a lovely name, which means “road” in the language of Truku. The name actually came from the story of her own birth that when she was about to be born, her mother had to give birth to her in the middle of a mountain road as her birth was too sudden and they lived too far from the city.
Perhaps for this reason, or perhaps it’s a common gene in every Truku woman that Miciq has a tough personality and is persistent with what she wants to achieve.
Her tough personality can be seen from her learning of weaving, a must-learn for every woman of the Peoples of Rainbow traditionally. Whenever she made some mistake, her grandma would hammer at her head hard with a rigid bamboo pipe. Once she just made a mistake with one single thread while weaving, her 90-year-old grandma at the time then hammered at her head so hard that the serious wound made Miciq stay in a hospital for almost one month.
Keep walking, and everyone has the potential to find his own way
Thanks to the strict training and her persistence, Miciq has eventually learned and mastered in the weaving skills of 14 Taiwanese indigenous peoples, especially in the improved indigenous clothing, and her excellent talent was recognized in many awards. She is also one of the very few Taiwanese indigenous fashion designers that have participated in some international competitions. Many Taiwanese competitors in some international beauty contests have put on the indigenous-inspired clothes already, showing the beauty of Taiwanese indigenous cultures to the world!
Be persistent and you will see a fruitful result.
The saying by an elder has always been Miciq’s faith on her career of fashion design. She said, the most valuable that a designer could do is to be persistent and keep accumulating his potential, till his efforts are finally recognized and everything will be paid off!
What makes me admire is that, on the road of fashion design, Miciq never forgot her identity and responsibility to be one of the Peoples of Rainbow, the best Weavers among Taiwanese indigenous peoples! She has kept creating so many fantastic works with the spirits and the essence of the Peoples inside, and eventually spreads the beauty of Taiwanese indigenous cultures to the world and to the world’s eyes!
Now let’s enjoy some beautiful works of Miciq:
Read Also
Since last week, Miciq’s studio has started a column in our platform Mata Taiwan, sharing the beauty of Taiwanese indigenous cultures with all of you!
Are you interested in sharing what you see in Taiwanese indigenous communities? Or anything else about Taiwanese indigenous cultures you wanna share with us?
No matter you write in English, Chinese, Spanish, or even other languages, just write to us: [email protected]
各位旅客，新城站到了，請準備下車。從影片的 1 分 41 秒開始，我們開始回到太魯閣族人的歷史。
Ladies and gentlemen, we are now at Sincheng Station. From 1:41 secs, we will lead you back to the long history of Truku people……
“It is the winter in 1896. Ladies and gentlemen, be sure to take all your belongings with you when you leave the train. When leaving the station, watch out your leather hat and your head underneath, because the Truku warriors are hunting head!