Yami
The Yami are also referred to as the Tao. This is the most representative marine culture among Taiwan’s indigenous tribes. It is the only tribe that did not practice headhunting and did not consume liquor. The Yami tribe inhabits Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island, off the eastern coast of Taiwan. Its population, ranked 11th among Taiwan’s indigenous tribes, is distributed among six villages.
Yami refers to the direction north, while Tao means “human” in the tribe’s native language. This is a patrilineal society with a clan structure. The division of labor was according to gender with the men responsible for fishing, building homes and producing tools, while the women were responsible for weaving and cultivation of fields. There was no chieftain. Instead the elders of the clans that founded the villages were given leadership roles. The villages had other leaders as well, such as the head of the fishing associations and master craftsmen.
When both parents had passed away, their home would be dismantled and the building materials divided among the sons, with the oldest son inheriting the land and the main beam. Daughters could only inherit the personal belongings of their mother.
In the past, Yami homes were built of stone and wood, partly below ground as defense against typhoon winds. The Yami places great importance on fish and some types of fish can only be eaten by certain members of the tribe, for example, the elderly, males and females. As long as the father was alive, his children could not eat fish that was the exclusive right of the elderly. The Japan Current brings schools of flying fish, which are used in a number of ceremonies that celebrate different stages of life and the changing of the seasons. The Flying Fish Festival takes place between March and August. One of the most colorful and fascinating traditions is the Boat Launching Ceremony which follows the completion of a new seafaring boat, made from wooden planks.
