Puyuma
The Puyuma tribe, the seventh largest of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes, is concentrated in 11 villages along the Taitung Plains, south of the Beinan River.
There are different legends regarding the origins of the Puyuma, including that the ancestors of the tribe were born from bamboo or a boulder, or came ashore after traversing the Pacific Ocean.
The Puyuma had a strict training system for the men. Males were trained at the youth meeting hall, starting at the age of 13. The barakuwan, of which the youth meeting hall is a part, is also the place where ceremonies and rites are held. When males reached the age of 18, they were given the responsibility to defend the village. They served as warriors until age 22, when they were eligible to marry. At age 35, they could participate in discussions regarding the governing of the village. At age 50, they became respected elders. From the time they were young, Puyuma males were trained in the importance of duty and how to endure hardship and to face challenges bravely. Through this strict training system, the Puyuma warriors earned a reputation as fierce and skilled fighters.
This is traditionally a matrilineal society. After marriage, men went to live in the home of their wife’s family. Men and women have equal rights in the division of labor within the clan, but it is the women who oversee all family matters. The Grand Hunting Rites and Monkey Festival, held in December, are the major ceremonies of the Puyuma.
