Perspectives of Indigenous Bridges

Hsia Chao-Le-Ke   Hsia, Chao-Le-Ke Reviver of Black Millet and Lanyu Indigenous Pig Yeyin Village, Orchid Island  Hsia Chao-Le-Ke is a dedicated cultural practitioner from Ivalino (Yeyin) Village on Lanyu Island. After returning to his homeland following military service, he has committed himself to reviving traditional crops and indigenous food systems, seeking to restore the Tao people's ancestral relationship with the land. He is a pioneer in the revival of Lanyu's endemic black millet—a sacred and nearly forgotten grain once reserved for ritual blessings. Beginning with a few decorative stalks discovered in a relative's home, Hsia spent over a decade relearning cultivation techniques and reintroducing the crop into daily life. Through community-based innovation, black millet has transformed into local delicacies and culturally meaningful gifts that tell stories of island identity. In parallel, Hsia plays a key role in the preservation and sustainable development of the ...

Si Rojiang (Huang, Guang-de)   Si Rojiang (Huang, Guang-de) Master Canoe Builder Dongqing Village, Orchid Island  Huang Guang-De, an elder from a renowned canoe-building family of the Tao (Yami) people in Dongqing Village, Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼), is one of the few remaining traditional artisans on the island who fully master the construction of tatala (plank-built canoes). With profound indigenous knowledge and a deep connection to nature, he personally sources timber from the mountains and tests his vessels in the ocean, preserving the Tao's seafaring culture where canoes are considered part of the family. Huang has successfully voyaged across the Kuroshio Current from Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼) to Taitung in a handcrafted canoe, retracing the ancestral maritime routes of his people. In recent years, he has actively participated in international cultural collaborations, including joining the Taiwan Outrigger Canoe Club (TOCC) in a canoe-building project with two master builde...

  Mata News Magazine featured ATAYAL Organization's participation in FestPac Hawai'i For 2024, the primary goal of the ATAYAL Organization was the development of key relationships for the Indigenous Bridges Youth Ambassador Program (IBYAP). This included strengthening the importance of our Hawai'i office in Maui by making it a pillar of our bridge, bringing together indigenous groups across the Pacific. Our Regional Director of Hawai'i, Leiven Hwang worked with former Prime Ministers of Tuvalu, Bikenibeau Panieu and Willy Telavi to host an event to welcome a delegation from the island nation of Tuvalu and connect them to our organization partners in Hawai'i and Taiwan. Our goal was to initiate a framework for exchange and cooperation between Austronesian communities, and likewise, we have the ability to introduce the beautiful cultures and timeless wisdom of the Austronesian peoples to American people. II. PROGRAM EXPANSION To facilitate our Indigenous Bridges prog...

Regional Director Leiven Huang represented the ATAYAL Organization at FestPAC Hawaii The Financials of 2024 reflect a year in which the organization made a huge effort to expand our connections in the Pacific region by participating in the 13th Annual Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) in Oahu, Hawaii in June. It was an international gathering of leaders and culture keepers from 28 Pacific nations. Taiwan brought the largest delegation. With Leiven Hwang, Regional Director of Hawaii leading the ATAYAL Organization's efforts, we were able to connect with key leaders for future cooperation with the Indigenous Bridges Youth Ambassador Program. Another important effort of 2024 was moving the Tao Tatala, which is on loan to our organization for 10 years from its owner Dan Long. It was moved to make it available as a cultural exhibit for the future Tribal Canoe Journeys. There were two parts to our fundraising efforts. First, we raised money for FestPAC Hawaii prior to the Ju...

Please welcome HollyAnna CougarTracks DeCoteau LittleBull to the ATAYAL Organization, serving as our Tribal Liaison. With a wealth of tribal friends and connections throughout the USA, HollyAnna will be very helpful to facilitate our youth ambassador program with Native American groups. HollyAnna CougarTracks DeCoteau LittleBull hails from the Yakama, Nez Perce, Cayuse, and Cree Tribes. She currently serves as an artist, planner, Yakama tribal leader, and activist, who most recently served as the Assistant Director of the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program Center. With an illustrious career spanning thirty years in public safety, HollyAnna has worked as a medic, police officer, structural and wildland firefighter, road supervisor and educator. She is an expert in strategic planning, hazard mitigation, emergency preparedness, response and recovery, and in implementing environmental, behavioral, policy and protocol efforts. HollyAnna's achievements have garnered recognitio...

  In its ongoing effort to expand its network of Indigenous groups for the purpose of cooperation, the ATAYAL Organization has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tao Foundation of Orchid Island to expand its Indigenous Bridges Youth Ambassador Program (IBYAP) to include the Tao Tribe. The Tao Tribe is one of Taiwan's 16 recognized Indigenous groups, and it is the group that is recognized for its canoe-going culture. On Saturday, May 18, 2024, ATAYAL President Tony Coolidge met with the Tao Foundation CEO Syaman Manalap on Orchid Island to sign the MOU. They also visited the newly-built 20-person cinedkaran canoe, an important icon of the Tao traditional culture. Click here to see MOU (Letter) | Click here to see MOU (A4)