The award-winning Amis Aboriginal singer Ayal Komod, also known as Chang Chen-yue (張震嶽), and other Aborigines protested against a plan by the Tourism Bureau to bring Chinese tour groups to Aboriginal villages to watch traditional Aboriginal festivities, notably the Amis people’s Ilisin Harvest Festival.
“Amis communities in Hualien and Taitung Counties hold their Ilisin festivals throughout the summer and if you truly respect Aboriginal culture, do not believe the government propaganda saying Ilisin festivals are ‘tourism events,’” Ayal, who received a Golden Melody Award last month, said on Facebook.
“Ilisin is a very important part of our cultural heritage and it is certainly not a tourism event. We dance for our tribal elders and ancestral spirits, not for tourists,” the singer said.
Ayal added that Amis Aborigines would welcome guests who show respect for their culture, but not tourists who only consider the festival to be a tourist attraction.
Ilisin is the most important Amis summer festival, which not only celebrates the harvest, but also expresses gratitude or respect to ancestral spirits.
The festival does not fall on a particular date, because each Amis community decides when to hold its own festival.
However, tourism authorities and local governments have in recent years been promoting Ilisin as a tourism event, and even organized “joint harvest festivals” that differ from the traditional festivals.
Ayal was reacting to the Tourism Bureau announcing that it would help to arrange tour groups from China to visit Aboriginal villages to attend Ilisin festivals, saying that it has negotiated with Aboriginal communities and received their consent.
“We are neither toys nor dance troupes. Would the Tourism Bureau please explain how they obtained consent from our villages? Which villages gave their consent?” said Namoh Nofu, a member of the Pangcah Amis Defense Alliance.
“A traditional festival is a sacred ritual, it is not a tourist event or performance. It is the most important traditional religious event of the year for a tribe, so if you do not understand its meaning, I recommend that you do not come to our village to disrupt [the festival],” said Paicx Yatauyungana, a Tsou singer better known as Kao Hui-chun (高慧君).
“But if you really want to understand [the tradition], really want to learn, and are prepared, please find a local guide to tell you all the rules and taboos, and we will welcome you as a guest,” Kao said.
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