布农，在布农语中是人的意思。布农族群根据不同的氏族，分为峦社、卡社、丹社、卓社、郡社等五大社群，是台湾少数民族的第四大族群。
布农没有世袭的统治阶级，只有由族人选出的终身职领袖。领袖分为两种：一种是部落首长，是担任部落传统习俗的守护者，主持由各氏族长老和户长参加的部落会议，并执行会议的决议，通常也是各项祭典的祭司；另一种是部落的军事首长，由拥有战功、深谋远虑、甚至熟谙吉凶占卜的长者担任，一经选出都是终身职，其儿子并没有继位的权力。
布农人是典型的父系社会大家庭，一户人家经常三代同堂，由最年长的祖父或叔祖父担任家长，伯叔辈即使婚后仍不分家，每对夫妻在屋内各自分配一间卧室居住，所有家人共同分工合作。如果分家，通常是要在祖父过世后，才能由伯叔辈主持协议分家。
“八部合音”，是布农人最具代表性的音乐表现形式，它是以八个不同的音阶构成柔美的合音，内容是祈祷小米丰收，又称“小米丰收歌”。而“夸功宴”则是在亲友欢聚宴饮时，大家围成一个圆圈，不分男女轮流走到中心，大声报出自己的名字，并列举自己在一年内杰出的表现，公开夸耀自己成绩的欢庆宴会，这也是布农人最具特色的文化习俗。
布农在原住民各族群当中是唯一拥有自创文字——“农事历法图表”的族群，他们一年四季均依历法进行农耕、狩猎。许多祭典都是依附在农事祭仪中，例如射耳祭、小米播种祭等，都是布农人重要的岁时祭仪。
Bunun
The Bunun is the fourth largest of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes. Bunun refers to “human” in the tribe’s native language. The traditional social organization of the Bunun did not include a chieftain. Instead, the tribe was governed by clan elders. The tribe is divided into five main groups: Luanshe, Kashe, Danshe, Zhuoshe and Junshe.
The Bunun leaders did not inherit their titles, but rather were elected by the village residents. There were two types of leaders. The first was the village leader who was the guardian of all traditional customs and presided over the various clan elder council meetings and carried out the resolutions adopted during those meetings. He also presided over ceremonies and rites. There was also a military affairs leader who was an experienced warrior and able to plan strategy and to carry out divination.
This is a patrilineal society that carried out hunting and cultivation activities in extended families. Three generations of the family lived together with each couple having one room in the home.
Polyphonic singing is one of the most well-known characteristics of the Bunun. Eight voices of different musical scale form an integrated, gentle chorus in prayer for a plentiful millet harvest. During the “boasting of achievements banquet”, men and women take turns standing in the center of a circle and saying their name and listing their achievements over the past year.
The Bunun is the only tribe to possess a calendar with icons to
mark farming and hunting activities, as well as important ceremonies such as the Ear Shooting Festival and Millet Planting Ceremony.
