The Decline and Rejuvenation of the Atayal Gaga:Two Events in the Frontal Region of Jienshi Village

• Main Authors: Wu, Chiu-Wei, 吳秋緯
• Other Authors: Lin, Wen-Ling
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/pjsby3

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 客家文化學院客家社會與文化學程 === 101 === Various literatures have shown that people of Atayal tribe obey a common law gaga as a mode to regulate their lives in the community so as to form a profound emotional bond within the group, thus enhance the ethnic identity. However, the traditional gaga is deteriorating due to the engagement of state bureau sovereignty and volatile capitalistic society; life styles and orders are under Hanization. Yet, tradition never disappears, just drifts. The gaga as a social bond is “transforming” or “reshaping” under the bully of landscape policies from the government and fusing with the Christian culture brought up by churches; a new social order is thus formed. This research studies the formation of compassion and consensus among Atayalians in accord with social orders and organizations under the traditional Gaga imbued with church cultivations. Two incidents: closing down of the North Delaman Mountain and anit-water dam coalition of the Jienshi Village, by Atayal tribe lived in the Jienshi Village, Hsinchu county, are discussed. The activities enlightened Tayalians about the importance of preserving the “root” inherited from their ancestors and carrying over to the younger generations. In addition, I try to interpret the infusion of church organization and the traditional gaga in the evolving environment, a blended tune with impacts on daily life but originated from two distinct disciplines. My study is based on literature search and field investigations and discussions. I interviewed pastures in churches to examine how the traditional gaga was accepted and fused with the Christian culture. On the other hand, I interviewed Atayalian elderly to figure out how the traditional gaga might have been cultivated in churches and eventually how a novel belief rooted on Atayalian tradition might have been evolved.