Indigenous People Commission

2023 National Indigenous Games, Taipei to Implement Mainstream Indigenous 

Tribes with Four Pioneering Highlights

  2023 National Indigenous Games, Taipei will grandly start in Taipei City on March 24. Indigenous Peoples Commission, Taipei City Government invited experts and scholars of indigenous peoples to form a cultural advisory group in the early stage of planning the games to provide suggestions and advice for the games to avoid cultural appropriation and mis-location, further implementing and promoting national indigenous education. 

  To respect Taipei’s local indigenous peoples, the main visual design of the games has adopted indigenous languages, Mandarin Chinese and English. Among which, “MURPUN U PUTOI TAIWAN AZASAN ANEM UCA” is Basai, the language of the Ketagalan. Additionally, tribal language teachers of each indigenous tribe were invited to translate the games of 2023 National Indigenous Games, Taipei into tribal languages and record audio. People can learn the  trial languages and pronunciations for each game on the official website of National Indigenous Games, Taipei at https://reurl.cc/1eX0nD.

  Indigenous Peoples Commission, Taipei City Government indicated that there is no indigenous settlement in Taipei City, but about 17,000 indigenous people who have household registration in the city are mostly from indigenous tribes around Taiwan. To magnify the cultural deposits of indigenous people in Taipei City, Indigenous Peoples Commission has specially planned to get mother flames from the sacred land, sacred mountain, place of origin or representative location of indigenous tribes and bring them back to Taipei to form the National Indigenous Games’ sacred flame. The event not only fosters these indigenous people’s connections with the cultures of their tribes, but also serves as a sacred and unprecedented undertaking. On the day of the opening ceremony, traditional tribal chiefs or respected elders will attend the ceremony in person to pray for the games and participants. Let’s wish the games a great success!

The Seediq’s Flame of Divinity was got at the festival ground of the Delugu Tribe in Renai Township. According to the fire fetching custom of the Seediq, the fire has to be divined in a traditional house the precious day, and it is fetched the following day.

The sacrifice offering location for the Amis’ Flame of Sea Ritual was in front of Dulan Nose. The fire fetching team first got fire from a fire pit. Secondly, it was brought to the sea ritual ground and ignited at the sacred flame platform. Following that, the traditional leader led the tribal people to pray to their ancestral spirits by facing Dulan Mountain (Malataw). Then the mother flame was fetched, and escorted to leave the tribe with the dance of brave warriors.

The Paiwan’s Flame of Dignity was got from Padain, Majia Township, Pingtung County. The flame was ignited by traditional leaders and given to the Township Director who then got the mother flame and delivered it to the fire fetching team. Last, brave warriors danced the dance of brave warriors to complete the mission of fetching the mother fire. 

The flame fetching ritual for Taipei’s local Flame of Same Origin was held at Ketagalan Culture Center in Beitou District, Taipei City. The elder first fetched fire to ignite the torch, and then passed it to the members of the fire fetching team. Last, the members of the fire fetching team ignited the sacred fire lamp to complete the fire fetching ceremony.

The Bunun’s Flame of Jade Mountain was got in the square in front of Dongpu Suspension Bridge at the foot of Jade Mountain, and Dongguang tribal people, the only Bunun tribe in Yushan National Park, carried out the ceremony of blessings for the event.

The pronunciations for the indigenous games can be found on 2023 National Indigenous Games’ official website.