Perspectives of Indigenous Bridges

The following are the cultural Essay and Video submitted by Yukan Sabi, a member of the Atayal Peoples of Taiwan. He is a volunteer coordinator for the Indigenous Bridges Youth Ambassador Program (IBYAP). On this page, he has provided these samples for the youth ambassadors to view as an example. More about the IBYAP Program | More about the 2021 Indigenous Bridges Virtual Conference Yukan Sabi - Atayal Peoples Taiwan has been home to a number of Austronesian Indigenous groups since before 4,000 BC, the Atayal peoples being one of them. Atayal peoples are known for using facial tattooing. Those with tattoos could marry, and, after death, only those with tattoos could cross the Spirit Bridge. In the past, both men and women had to show that they had performed a major task associated with responsibility and adulthood before their faces could be tattooed. For a man, he had to take the head of an enemy, showing his valor as a hunter to protect and provide for his people, while women had t...