The Taiwan Journey: Traveling Around Taiwan in a Traditional Tatala Boat with its Builder Mi Sra Ko Sirman (Akai)


Written by Chloe Hsia


Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan


On October 9, 2020, the ATAYAL Organization hosted an event at the Tamsui Art Gallery with Mi Sra Ko Sirman (Akai), the builder of the traditional Tatala boat from Orchid Island. Akai is a Dawu (also known as Tao) tribe member, who builds the boat by hand and dreams to paddle around Taiwan in the Tatala, introducing everyone he comes across to the Dawu people and their culture and customs. 



During the event, Akai spoke with ATAYAL Executive Director Gary Smoke and detailed the plans for his journey. He noted that the journey may take up to three months, as he plans to break down the distance into shorter rowing segments. Akai also interviewed with Taiwan Indigenous Television and Taipei Times and answered questions about his journey and his canoe building process. 



For the past four years, ATAYAL and Indigenous Bridges has accompanied a group from Taiwan to America to join the Native American and First Nation tribes in the Tribal Canoe Journey. This is a yearly cultural event that teaches tribal youth the ways of their forefathers. It is a goal of the organization to bring the event to Taiwan to kickstart “The Taiwan Journey.” ATAYAL aims to assist Akai in his efforts and to work to develop his vision into an international event. Next year, the organization aims to invite Native American tribes to participate in the journey in Taiwan, as well as other Austronesian groups in the near future. The organization is currently looking for volunteers and partners to help accomplish Akai’s dream together. 


The ATAYAL organization is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization registered in Florida and Washington State, USA. Its mission is to preserve indigenous cultures and empower indigenous peoples by building bridges, or cooperation opportunities, that connect indigenous communities around the world. It was founded in 2001, and continues to organize and facilitate indigenous exchanges through its committed staff of volunteers and network of indigenous representatives.


For more information about the ATAYAL organization, please visit our website at https://www.indigenousbridges.org. To follow up on this press release, please contact:

 

Chloe Hsia

PR Coordinator 

ATAYAL organization

E-mail: press@indigenousbridges.org


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