The Saisiyat tribe has a population of around 7,000 that is concentrated in the mountainous areas of Nanzhuang and Shitan townships in Miaoli County and Wufeng Township in Hsinchu County, except for those Saisiyat who have moved away from their villages to urban areas in search of employment and study opportunities. Today, only a small percentage of Saisiyat can communicate in their native language. Most are fluent in Mandarin Chinese, the official language of Taiwan, and some of the Saisiyat living in Hsinchu may be able to converse in the language of the Atayal, a much larger indigenous tribe with villages in that area, while Saisiyat living in Miaoli are very proficient in the Hakka language, as this area is also home to a large Hakka population. Unlike Taiwan’s other indigenous tribes, the Saisiyat mostly escaped conversion to Christianity by foreign missionaries. However, some of their religious practices appear to be influenced by Chinese folk beliefs. In some Saisiyat homes there is an altar, with spirit tablets and food offerings, for ancestor worship much like that seen in Chinese homes.

In recent years, the Saisiyat have been taking the lead in working toward autonomy by establishing a tribal council. Autonomy is on the minds of many of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, as they look to possess better control over their lands, livelihoods and cultural preservation efforts. Along those lines, an indigenous autonomy law is expected to be considered, and hopefully passed, by Taiwan’s legislature in the near future.

Among the Saisiyat ceremonies, the paSta’ay, often translated into English as the Dwarf Spirit Ceremony, is by far the best known. According to the stories passed down orally from generation to generation, there was once a group of people who were very dark-skinned and short in stature living alongside the Saisiyat in what is now Hsinchu County. The Saisiyat referred to them as ta’ay, and found them to be highly intelligent and agile. With the help of the ta’ay, the Saisiyat were able to produce abundant crops and lived in peace and happiness. Every year, following the harvest, the Saisiyat would hold a large banquet to thank the ta’ay. One year, as the banquet was in full swing, a young Saisiyat man left the celebration and saw a Saisiyat woman being harassed by a ta’ay man. He was very angry but given the high status that was accorded the ta’ay by his tribe, he dared not confront the man directly. Instead, one night he found an opportunity to take revenge. He partially cut a log bridge that was often used by the ta’ay just enough to weaken it so that the next day as the ta’ay were gathered on the bridge it snapped, sending them plummeting to their deaths in the valley below. Only two of the ta’ay survived the disaster, one elderly man and one elderly woman. As would be expected, they were very angry and threatened to curse the Saisiyat and their crops. A Saisiyat chieftain worried by this turn of events sought a way to avoid the curse and its consequences. The elderly couple told him that the Saisiyat would have to learn certain rites and songs to commemorate and appease the spirits of the ta’ay that had perished. After the rites and songs had been learned, the two elders went to live in the east, but before they left they said that they would return every two years to witness the performance of these rites and songs.

Thus, the paSta’ay, or beseeching the blessings of the ta’ay, takes place over three consecutive nights, from dusk until dawn, in November or December every two years.  During the ceremony, the Saisiyat welcome the ta’ay spirits from the east and sing the songs, mostly solemn chants, taught by the surviving ta’ay, before sending them on their way after the final night.

Although the tribe does not encourage it, large crowds of spectators come to view this event either in Nanzhuang or Wufeng. As this ceremony is made up of a number of important rites and observances, visitors should be respectful and comply with requests to make way for the members of the tribe or for the spirits of the ta’ay. In addition, visitors may want to wear an armband of Japanese silvergrass to protect them from the ta’ay spirits, who are said to be of a mischievous nature.

During the ceremony, the Saisiyat dress in traditional clothing with both men and women wearing long cape-like vests and women wearing skirts. Red, white and black are the most common colors. In addition, those who dance during the ceremony don a very unique musical instrument, which for lack of a better description can be directly translated as buttocks bells (or tapangaSan in the Saisiyat language). The top part is woven of rattan or made of cloth and features ornaments such as small round mirrors and beads. Two straps allow it to be worn on the back, similar to a backpack. From this hangs ropes to which are tied a series of long, cylindrical bamboo tubes. As the wearer sways back and forth, the instrument hits against the buttocks, causing the bamboo tubes to strike together. Today, sometimes the bamboo tubes are replaced with metal ones to create a louder, clearer sound. In unison, the playing of this instrument by a number of dancers moving slowly in a circle is a unique musical experience.

This event is made all the more colorful by large banners carried by the young males of the tribe. This duty is rotated among them and they can be seen walking in front or behind the dancers or in the center of the circle in time to the music produced by the dancers. These banners bear the Chinese names of Saisiyat clans. The Zhu clan was determined by the surviving ta’ay couple to have learned the songs and rites the best and thus was given the task of passing on these traditions with the logistics and coordination responsibilities divided among other clans.

It is interesting to note that it is not only the Saisiyat who possess such a legend. Other tribes, such as the Paiwan, also have stories handed down from their ancestors that tell of a tribe of very short, dark-skinned people living alongside them. To date, no bones or other objective evidence of such a people have been discovered, but with the existence of similar legends across Taiwan it appears possible that they did once inhabit this island.

Nanzhuang Township in Miaoli County is a tourist destination in its own right, albeit increasingly overdeveloped, for its scenic mountain slopes and plethora of guesthouses, operated by Hakka and Saisiyat families. There are also several Saisiyat workshops producing a wide range of hand woven cloth and rattan items from baskets to coin purses, handbags and clothing. For more information about Taiwan’s indigenous arts and handicrafts, go online to www.tribe-asia.com