(1)Hongyeh Community: [A-hsueh Liang Li] [Daughter of A-hsueh Liang Li]

[Date]: 2006/11/30, 9~11am
[Location]: Hongyeh Tribe (Yuyuh A-hsueh Liang Li)
[Reporter]: Jun-feng Wang
[Translator]: Mr. Shou-liang Hsu
[Photographer]: Kang-chuan Liu

Q1: Aunt, do you keep works made by ramie?

Ans:Yes, I do. Look at the cloth. It can be made for coverlet or traditional waistcoat, the same as past cloth our Truku used, with white as the key tune. If making a waistcoat, adopt lace sold in the market and we don’t have such material previously.

Q2: Can I ask how ramie becomes thread by rubbing?

Ans: Our Truku calls the process Mnuqah (twisting yarn). First bite a bundle of ramie yarn with incisor, separate them to strips, bind them by cross rubbing two ends of the thread, encircle thread around the palm, and pack those twisted in hand as a bundle that is called Kingan hkus (a knit), 20 of which is a truss, called as Kingan pungu if binded, and 80 of which or a 4-truss pack is called as Nikingan. The thread is probably enough for a piece of strip (Length should be 80cm*300 cm) that can be completed within two working days without rest (part content is not easy for interviewees to present, and above description is the translation of observers via words or supervisors).

Q3: What is difference between sold ramie thread and traditional Truku thread?

Ans: The Ma’am acutally showed us two final products for comparason. The sold one is softer and more exquisite, but traditional ramie one coarser. Traditional Truku ramie products will be whiter and softer as washing times increased.

Q4:Can I ask how long it will take to weave a piece of coverlet?

Ans: If I was not distracted in daytime and had no sleep at night, I would take about 4 working days to complete the work, through sewing

Q5: How to judge if ramie yarn bleached or not (thread cooking process)? Will the thread turn to mess after cooked and cleaned?

Ans: The elderly showed us cooked and not cooked ramie yarn. She said cooked yarn looks clean and white but not cooked one looks bad comparatively (containing residu after scratched). Ramie yarn should be cleaned after cooking, and hung on shelf for sunshine and rain shower, when re-connecting the broken thread if detected.

Q6: How to cut ramie for ramie yarn?

Ans: The Ma’am first took us to her ramie field and showed us in person how to process ramie leaves first, collector cutting sticks above root with reaphook, holding the bottom of certain amount (10-15 sticks) of sticks in hands with leaf-growing end facing down, and getting rid of leaves with the back of reaphook; then the ramie sticks should be peeled off, when weavers should sit and straightly reach out legs, fixing 2-3 ramie sticks (only 1 for beginners) at the end by crossing thumbs of the feet when breaking sticks by hands (at the place about 2/3 of the stick) but leaving cortex connected, and using ramie scratching tools made of bamboo to scratch the surface to reveal the fibre (presenting white). (Jun-feng Wang wanted to experience it initially, but the Ma’am said boys were not allowed to touch it, which was a taboo. Later Kang-chuan Liu experienced it.)

Q7: Who else is planting ramie now?

Ans: I am the only person growing ramie in Hongyeh Community, but I have heard that Taying’s Labay (daughter) of Wanrong Community is planting as well. (In another interview of Yuyuh’s daughter that day, we found another ramie field under a bridge of the community by chance, which was planted by Kimi•Sux (a Xiulin Shuiyuan villager), didn’t grow very well, and come from Ms. Yuyuh.)

Q8: What is the proper condition to grow ramie?

Ans: The land should be wide, sunshine should be sufficient, and soil should be fertilized. Try not to close the trees, avoiding to reduce sunshine.

Q9: How did you learn ramie scratching?

Ans: The elderly would not tell me how, and I had to learn by observing. She told me to do this or that as an order and strictly required me to satisfy the standard. If I could not learn how to do, I would be scolded or beated by bamboo in my hand. Moreover, I was not allowed to cry, if so, she would beat me more fiercely. If I could not master the operation in the second workshop, she would drive me away.

Q10: Where do you live before married?

Ans: I was born in Jiaming Village, Shioulin Township and got married to a man in Hongye in 1967. I have been here for 39 years.

[Date]: 2006/11/30, 11am~12pm
[Location]: Hongyeh Tribe (Yusi•Yutaw Daughter of A-hsueh Liang Li)
[Reporter]: Kang-chuan Liu
[Translator]: Mr. Shou-liang Hsu
[Photographer]: Shi-wei Yan

Q1: Which do you use for weaving, the traditional tool or modern one?

Ans: I use both (show us the products, and there is semi-finished product in traditional weaving machine). The product in traditional weaving is a cloth strip (with about 150cm in length and about 80 cm in width) that can be made for a coverlet or tablecloth after completion.

Q2: When do you usually weave?

Ans: I haven’t woven for a long time as I am working in Dewu Primary School as the cook and don’t have much time. Now I only weave in spare time.

Q3: You mother says that you are good at totem texture in weaving. Have you learnt them outside?

Ans: No. I just observed and copied the operation of elderlys to form learnings via my own study. All operations can adopt float weaving. The product shown to you actually uses only one skill. The core is how the weaver make changes to present more lines. For example, the pattern (Bara) in the two-piece skirt of traditional Truku woman wearing is woven via float weaving (diamond shape), but only float weaving once so that it looks like flower piece; I would float weave several times so that the line would be more lively and solid. Previously, some friends from Miaosu and Nantou visited Hualien, comparing our weaving approaches and skills. They ramarked that skills and approaches are similar, but the difference lies in color. For instance, Truku mainly adopts white, but Tuda or product from Nantou like to use peachblow.

Q4: Are your sisters learning weaving?

Ans: My elder sister (Cibi•Yutaw) married to Xiulin and didn’t learn weaving, I am the second one (Yusi•Yutaw) at home and learnt weaving, and my little sister (Wuging•Yutaw) married to Shuiyuan and didn’t learn weaving as she was a nurse.

Q5: How to weave diamond totem with traditional weaving machine?

Ans: There are two ways to weave diamond figure, the first adopts float weaving, which can simplify the process. Match the color in thread arrangement, and present line by cross-using three sticks when moving arranged thread to traditional weaving machine. It took me 10 days to master the skill. My mother (Yuyuh) does not know how to do it. Labi of our community specifically learnt the skill from experienced elderly of Sanmin Village.

Q6: How to dye ramie thread in the past?

Ans: Truku only has red and white. We get white by cooking with wood ash water, and get red by dipping ramie thread (cooked) in chopped Qmagas (dioscorea ehipogoniordes) and re-cooking again. Previously, I had a chance to attend a traditional dyeing course in Nantou, but unfortunately, I missed it.

(2)Tongmen Community: [Gariyi•Jihoh ] [Hui-mei Wen Chen]

[Date]: 2007/2/3, 9~11am
[Location]: Tongmen Tribe (Kaji•Cihong Gariyi•Jihoh )
[Reporter]: Chi-cheng Ma,Yan-ling Wu
[Translator]: Mr. Shou-liang Hsu
[Photographer]: Kang-chuan Liu


Q1: We are students from Jianqing Village. Can you tell us the origin and features of our tribe?

Ans: Kebayan people would look for toilet when others are eating, which is opinion of other tribes (in fact Zhariyi is kidding). Kebayan moved from New Baiyang of LiwuRive in Japanese occupation and were forced to migrate to Jianqing Tribe, because they would fight with strangers if disagreeing in opinion. Battlesome and fast action are features of Kebayan ancestors. For instance, when the food is done, he has gone; when others are ready to eat something, he is full and leaving for toilet. (Then, Chi-cheng Ma was eating pigblood soup and wanted to go to toilet in five minutes, which was regarded as the best representative of Kebayan’s descendant.) It was also said that once Kebayan family and others worked together in the mountain. As Kebayan moved faster and others comparatively slow, Kebayan first arrived at a platform to rest, and other Qmegi families arrived after Kebayan had left, when they smelt odour. Consequently, if other families smelt odour, they would say together that was Kebayan family. Above two stories focused on hardworking character of Kebayan and highlighted their attitude of working via the effect of tale. But it is not the case about Kebayan’s habits.

Q2: What about our past lives in Kebayan?

Ans: In Japanese occupation, Japanese migrated Truku on the mountain on a large scale after Truku Battle. During 1914 -1930, your ancestors were forced to lived in current Jianqing Village that mostly contains kebayan families. How did “Jianqing” come from? Previously, there were lots of tribes in Kebayan area of Liwu River because of large population, where had a Btunuh (big stone), or probably a high platform that could directly receive sunshine in the morning, which was regarded as the origin of “Jianqing” used by Japanese.

Q3: Why is Kebayan area named after “Kebayan”?

Ans: In the past, one of your ancestors named Payan established his first tribe here. His descendants named the tribe as “Kebayan” to memorize him and show their respect to him.

Q4: Which tribes were located in Kebayan area?

Ans: There were other tribes in Kebayan area besides Kebayan tribe, and totaled about 5 tribes then according to literature, including Kebayan, Btunuh, Lebo, etc. Those tribes had large population so that new tribes could be set up. There were at least 10-12 heads in each family from their family history record.

Q5: Is there any brave story of our ancestors?

Ans: When Japanese army planed to attack Kebayan area, Yabu•Noming, the head of Liwu River Kebayan then, gathered young man against Japanese. Japanese soldiers were superior in amount and equipment as they used guns and cannons, but Kebayan only had about 100 warriors and fought against Japanese as guerilla (fighting while retreat) causing Japanese not able to occupy Yabu’s tribe. When Japanese took his mother under custody, Yabu sacrificed himself to save his mother, rushing into the Japanese army and dying in the fight. Another story was talking about Yabu’s son (Ciyang•Yabu), who hid in grass, shot and assassinated the head of Taiwan government (Sakuma Samata, Taiwan Stadholder, equal to current President) under Japanese occupation, when the head visited the battlefield in Kebayan from Taipei. From then on, Ciyang•Yabu and his warriors hid in mountains (Yama saba) to escape from Japanese hunt until they died.  According to Japanese literature, the Stadholder (Sakuma Samata) was shot in a fight, was saved from the foot of cliff after dropping down, and died in a year. Actually all Truku tribes are talking about the hero shooting Japanese Senior General, so that while naming for children, Kebayan people would consider to name after Yabu as he represents the hero of tribe.

Q6: What is the standard of knowing weaving? When a woman could weave skillfully, how would her family members

Ans: Past women mainly stayed home and weaved and men went out for hunting; past Truku women highlighted true women as “women knowing weaving” who were required to weave Slebehang clothes (for men) with special totems like diamond and rectangle for men knowing hunting. Knowing hunting referred to taking human head, which qualified men to wear Slebehang. Once facing violation, such as territory violation, hunting area violation or dispute because of disagreeemnt, past Truku men would take the head of opposite side and showed to clansman to present their bravery and status of true man.

Women knowing how to weave the figure can get face tattooed, not only representing the symbol of tribe, but also representing the woman has accomplished important task of life. Please look at the picture in my hand. The figure in Slebehang’s clothes is the same as those in women’s face tattoo, which once was a necessary condition of a woman to earn pursuers as well as the symbol leading her to Ling Bridge (full of ancestor’s souls) after death. Diamond represents connection between human and souls, with which, ancestor’s souls would accept your status as his descendant. Without figure tattooed in face, one probably could not stay with ancestors. Therefore, those patterns (lots of diamond connection) were important in past Truku society, representing connection with ancestors, which was called diamond weaving and in Truku as Tmiri – float weaving.

Women not knowing weaving cannot get face tattooed as undesirable in the tribe, called as Nanah in Truku language that means ordinary here and will mean deserted if used to describe land. This time when you trace the meaning of weaving culture, you will see traditional wearings. You should hold respect and sincerity while facing those with diamond totem as it represents Truku culture.

Q7: Do modern Truku people tattoo face?

Ans: Not any more. They did in initial time of Japanese occupation, but stopped later. Therefore, in our community, people about 70 or 80 years old don’t have face tattoo, but those over 90 might have. In Japanese occupation, some were forced to get rid of face tattoo, and others would hide in the mountain if they were not happy about it.

Q8: How does Truku tattoo face?

Ans: Strictly, it should be called as Btasang, but not face tattoo. The former had certain process. People with specific skills could apply for Btasang. Their parents would invite Btasang operator, who would check if the people had done any thing bad and request honesty. If no bad thing had been done, the operator would communicate with ancestor’s soul, which was the last step before Btasang.

[Date]: 2007/2/3, 11am~12pm
[Location]: Tongmen Tribe (Hui-mei Wen Chen)
[Reporter]: Shi-wei Yan
[Translator]: Mr. Shou-liang Hsu
[Photographer]: Yan-ling Wu


Q1: Is there any elderly in Tongmen knowing how to weave?

Ans: After months’ investigation, we visited total 58 women in tribe, in which 15 had weaving experience, but only one still weaves now. She is Ms. Hu, Chunfang, 75 years old, living in #77-3, 10 neighbour, Tongmen Village.

Q2: What are traditional skills of Truku weaving and dyeing?

Ans: The Truku dyeing skill is plant dyeing. Corm of dioscorea ehipogoniordes should be chopped to pieces and cooked with ramie thread to dye red color; place ramie thread in paddy field for two days and the thread would turn black after taken out and cleaned; for white color, the ramie thread should be cooked with wood ash water and cleaned after that.

Q3: Can you share some investigation pictures about weaving products?

Ans: As they are digital pictures, can you wait for the completion of our investigation result report? Then, I can provide them for your reference.

(3)Fushih Community:  [Ching-hsiang Hu]

[Date]: 2007/2/7, 10am~12pm
[Location]: Fushih Tribe (Mrs. Ching-hsiang Hu  69歲 (69 years old))
[Reporter]: Jun-feng Wang
[Translator]: Mr. Shou-liang Hsu
[Photographer]: Kang-chuan Liu


Q1: Can I ask when you started to collect songs?

Ans: I started collecting since 1974, when the church had a “Taiguang” chorus that was set up by my cousin Zhuo, Yufeng and I.

Q2: Who would you cooperate during song collection?

Ans: I have cooperated with Principal Yang, Shengtu, and Ling Yang, his son, specialized in PC data input. But the cooperation stops now, because they are Seejiq and I insist of Truku, so that the original name is changed to be Collection of Traditional Truku Songs.

Q3: How many communities compose Truku tribe?

Ans: That’s kind of like a father with three children. We have three communities like Truku, Tkdaya and Tuda. We are living in Truwang (current Pingsheng tribe, Hezuo Village, Renai Township, Nantou County), a small place that I have visited in person, when they told me how they came to Truwang area. Originally, our ancestor lived at the foot of Tainan Mountain (no further verification), and later moved to coteau of Nantou County as chased by Pingpu Tribe that killed lots of our people and our population gradually shrinked. When arriving at Truwang, Nantou County, our ancestors digged a big hole as trap equipped with sharp wood to successfully trap most Pingpu people, where becomes residental place of our ancestors. With the development of population, lots of tribes are formed, one of which called as Truku, wanted to move to Tianxiang (Liwu River) that was regarded as back mountain, a good place for hunting. Tkdaya tribe is called as Pribau as well, a name given by others in the past, which didn’t represent the positive meaning originally but mainly focused on mutual criticizing. Truku represented the meaning of lazy man, Tuda meant people without stable residence and kept moving (migration). Later, Truku moved to Tianxiang area, Tuda to Chunyang, and Tkdaya (Pribau) moved upwards.

Q4: Why did you interview Nantou Pingseng?

Ans: When I interviewed their church, I felt Truku spoken in Hualien was like child talk (third-class), as people there can speak Truku more standard than those in our Hualien area, even Bunong women married to the community. That made me feel astonished and ashamed.

Q5: What is your impression on traditional Truku weaving?

Ans: First I would tell my memory about weaving. My mother and grandma had grown ramie (Nuqah) that is now planted by Atui and probably by Yabon in our community. When I was a child (about 5 years old), my mother liked to teach me weaving, but I stoped learning because my father hoped me focus on study and beat me for weaving as he was educated by Japanese system.

Q6: How do you collect ancient tune of weaving songs?

Ans: I have visited an elderly, who knows rhythm of weaving song and sings for me. And I asked elderlys knowing weaving for lyrics and made some adjustment, as the content of lyric almost contained weaving process and tools. That is how to collect the ancient songs.

Q7:   There are only 4 tunes (2, 3, 5, 6) in ancient Truku songs. But why is additional tune out of the 4 detected in the song collection that you edited?

Ans: The reason is part ancient songs include tunes similar to Japanese music as affected in Japanese Occupation.

Q8: How to bleach ramie thread? Is there any taboo about it?

Ans: Ramie thread is coarse and hard if just been scratched, so that it may be bleached if cooked with Qvurix (wood ash). When I visited Mingli Community, Tongmen, some elderlys mentioned to rub millet bran (Qnabui Masu) together with cooked ramie thread to make the thread soft and smooth. The next step is to expose cooked ramie thread to sunshine and rains for about a week to make it whiter. But I didn’t interview the taboo part, such as pregnant woman was not allowed to pass stove cooking thread, which might hinder cooked thread to become white. However, if the one cooking thread was pregnant, the taboo didn’t apply.

Q9: Is there any difference in woven cloth for men and women?

Ans:We mentioned in above question that ramie thread will turn white with time, which is used to weave wearings for women. Men’s clothes are made of threads that are not white enough.

Q10: The Collection of Weaving Songs that you edited is related to our research. Can you sign the consent form and authorize us to publish it?

Ans: Sure.

(4) Jianqing Community   [Wuhai Studio] [Yiyang Studio]

[Date]: 2007/28, 9~10am
[Location]: Jianqing Tribe (Wuhai Studio)
[Reporter]: Yan-ling Wu
[Translator]: Mr. De-lin Ai
[Photographer]: Shi-wei Yan
[Subject]: Interview weavers of weaving studio


Q1: When did you start to learn weaving?

Ans: I learnt to weave when I was 17, after I married to the tribe. My husband’s grandma taught me how to weave. As my own mother only knew how to twist and roll thread and I was just little girl then, she didn’t teach me those but let me focus on taking care of other little brothers and sisters.

Q2: Do you know who is planting ramie?

Ans: Yusi•taying of Wanrong Village and Hongyeh Village that you have been before, who is the grandma of Yang, Zhengxiong, the supervisor of Wanrong Elementary School.

Q3: Can you describe weaving process and dyeing approach?

Ans: The work is quite complex and trivial, requiring repeat of ramie planting, cutting, scratching, thread twisting and rolling several times, as well as cooking together with wood ash water to bleaching the thread; but stir selau (Lagerstroemia subcostata) leaves with ramie yarn to dye black, and get Qmagas (dioscorea ehipogoniordes) in the mountain for dyeing red color.

Q4: Does ramie planting have economic benefit?

Ans: Nuqah (cooked ramie thread) is sold in market, which was soled by Yusi•taying from Wangrong as well. I don’t know the price, but to my knowledge, it should be expensive, and would cost more for final products (like waistcoat).

Q5: Which tools are  necessary?

Ans: Weaving box, that is bought from market.

Q6:  What is the meaning represented by figure in cloth?

Ans: Previously, figure in cloth was presented by crossing black and red with diamond representing the eye of ancestor’s soul; meanwhile, flower patterns appeared in women’s traditional wearings, which was called Bara truku. I have a final product over there. Let me show you.

Q7: Is there any taboo in weaving?

Ans: Past elderly was used to say, if knowing weaving, the woman can pass Ling Bridge after death; Nebutu (women not weaving) cannot pass the bridge (a bridge full of ancestor’s soul). Nothing more. But there are many taboos for men. For example, when a man sits down, women and children cannot pass through the front of him, which is regarded as impolite. Another taboo refers that when old people are eating, no one else should pass through the front of him, which is a rule with extreme emphasis.  

Q8: Do you sell your weaving products?

Ans: Yes, I do, including quilt/blanket, tablecloth, amice, or traditional waistcoat. I do not sell personal bag as it is hard to make. Now, my son (Wu, Guangfu) helps in marketing business.

Q9: Will you teach descendants weaving skills?

Ans: If they would like to learn, that’ll be fine, but current children are not interested in. Even if they learn weaving, they may give up because of not serious enough and lacking perseverance, not as in the past when people lived in coteau with no access to clothes market and women had to learn weaving. At present, only Iyang, Sigaq and I know traditional weaving in the community, and rest do not know anymore.

[Date]: 2007/2/8, 10~11am
[Location]: Jianqing Tribe (Yiyang Studio)
[Reporter]: Jun-feng Wang
[Translator]: Mr. De-lin Ai
[Photographer]: Kang-chuan Liu
[Subject]: Interview the weavers of weaving studio


Q1:When did you start to learn weaving? How old was you then?

Ans: I started to learn weaving at 16 years old and my mother taught me then.

Q2:Is there any taboo for weaving?

Ans: As a woman, we would feel pain in knees if not weaving, and on the contrary, weaving women seldom feel pain in knees.

Q3: What time do you usually use for weaving?

Ans: I have to work on farm or household business in daytime and only can weave at night until very late.

Q4: Do you have buyers of your weaving products?

Ans: Yes. Like coverlet, tablecloth, mobilephone bak, traditional wearings and basket. If they come to have a look, they usually will buy my products.

Q5: Does traditional weaving approach cause ache of leg or foot?

Ans: Definitely one may feel ache at the initial stage. Therefore, the instructor would require accuracy of the posture. If inappropriate, the operator would feel more and more tired. I probably can continuously keep weaving like this for about a week and would not feel sleepy at night.

Q6: Will you initiate weaving skills to your descendants?

Ans: Yan-ling Wu (one team member) has learnt, but is limited in modern weaving machine that can be learnt by anyone with commitment. But she cannot operate tranditional weaving process. I have left some traditional wearings to my children, and I hope they would think of me while catching sight of them.