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Tribal Lifestyle

We completed three researches to probe the cultural evolution of the tribes: Tribal Legends, Food Evolution, and Clothes Evolution. The researches were completed as homework.

The research started with comparison of diet and clothes, yet students had enthusiastically included living, transportation, education, and entertainment.

• Ramie is a type of plant that was used to make clothes, and now called hemp. Ramie can be used to create a variety of articles, such as clothes, canopy, wrapper, etc. (Ting-wu)

• A traditional Puyuma clothes is very different from what we wear today; Puyuma clothes of the modern days is different from their traditional clothes because Puyuma wear similar clothes as we do now. However, they wear very different clothes during masalut rituals. Men wear blue shirt on top and cropped pants on the bottom; children and young men wear blue shirt and colorful short skirt on the bottom; women wear white shirt and kadu on the bottom. (Cheng-hao) 

• The traditional men's clothes is called Kating, children's clothes is called Duba. (Yi-jun)

• The ready-made clothes are available, so traditional clothes are only worn for rituals.

• The huts in the old times are not as durable the houses we live now because they were made of twitch grass. My aunt told that Vikavong was caught on fire during the heat attack. An old lady and other people were unable to escape the fire, (Ting-wu) 

• In the old times, Puyuma lived in huts made of bamboo, manure, twitch grass, or even in caves. Now, they like to live in luxurious and warm concrete houses.

• Puyuma huts: the huts were made of twitch and bamboo. Twitch grass were placed on the bamboo rack. (Hsin-ju)  ) 

• Puyuma huts were made to bamboos, twitch grass, and manure. Twitch grass were placed on the bamboo rack, and then affixed to roof with ropes. (Chia-yu)

• Most of the houses are made of concrete and bricks. 

•  In the past, only the wealthy ones could afford cars. Most people could only afford motorcycle 'Wild Wolf 125' or cattle carriage. My aunt told me that the first family trip to Taitung was on cattle carriage and took them 2 hours on the way. But all of them had a good time. (Ting-wu) 

• Puyuma transportation: the main transporting vehicle of Puyuma was cattle carriage. My parents told me that they traveled on cattle carriage or on foot to Taitung. They had to spend the whole day on the way! It is so convenient now. (Hsin-ju) 

• In the old times, Puyuma had no cars, motorcycles, bicycles, or other means of vehicles. The children had to walk to the beach. Now, parents can drive us there. (Cheng-hao)

• Puyuma only had cattle carriages. It would take them one full day to reach Taitung and one week to reach Taipei. They also used the cattle to till land. (Chia-yu)

• They drive cars, rider motorcycles, or take the bus. 

• Puyuma boys between 10 to 15 years old were required to receive training in youth assembly for a minimum of 3 years, and young men between 16 to 20 years old were required to receive training in adult assembly. They had to learn about hunting, house construction, and traditional handicraft. (Kwan-ying)

• Boys entered youth assembly (Takoban) to receive Spartan style training.

• Girls learned about household works at home.

• There is kindergarten, and public education for senior high school, vocational school, college, and graduate institute.

• Though surrounded by various tribes, Puyuma was able to maintain its power with military training at young age. There were no ready-made toys available, so the aborigines had to make their own, mostly from bamboos. One of the popular toys they made was water gun. The materials needed are a piece of cloth, saw, 5m long and 5cm wide bamboo, quick-dying glue, hammer, nails, and ropes used for rice bags. With the materials ready, we can now start. Saw off just a little before the nodes for a 4m long bamboo stick. Drill a hole in the middle so a wood stick can be affixed in the hole. Wrap and the stick with a piece of cloth, and glue and wrap it with ropes. Drill a hole on another bamboo stick and connect to the wood stick. A water gun is finished. Now we can suck water into the bamboo and press it to shoot out the water. (Ting-yuan) 

• Trailer made of betel nut leaves. 

• Puyuma natives liked to play with stone, instruments, or wrestle and make handicraft. (Kwan-ying) 

• Now, they like to play computer games
  

• And play sports too.