|
The
Hua Tung (Hualien-Taitung) area, homeland of
the Amis people, is closed in by rows of mountains
and the ocean. Surrounded by these barriers,
the tribe has become rather dependent on their
natural neighbors as providers for their daily
needs, developing the knowledge and ability
to live off of nature by hunting and fishing.
This has become an important part of their
culture that has been passed down from generation
to generation.
As the world around them becomes more developed,
the convenient lifestyles of the modern world
inevitably invade and replace more traditional
ways. Thus, it's very rare nowadays to find
someone like Liu Lin Liang Fa, who still treasures
and practices the traditions of his ancestors.
Liu Lin Liang Fa is well known for his bamboo
creations. He single-handedly designed and
built a watchtower using bamboo, earning him
first prize at the National Aborigine Arts
and Crafts Contest. Some of his other works
include the 25 bamboo cupboards and the three-floor-high
bamboo watchtower that he specially built last
year for the Amis Cultural Festival held in
Cheng Gong Township in Taitung County.
In the Amis society, kinship is matrilineal.
Male spouses and children bear the family name
from the female spouse's side, thus the Liu
has been added in front of his original name,
Lin Liang Fa. This 67-year-old Aborigine is
a man with a bold personality and a well-built
physique. He has kept the lifestyle of his
ancestors, living independently off of the
natural materials provided by his environment.
With his own skills he hunts in the mountains
for food and built his own shelter out of bamboo.
In his earlier days, he spent most of his time
learning traditional craft making skills from
his elders. After six or seven years of being
a professional fisherman at sea, he decided
to retire. His restless personality now leads
him to spend most of his free time up in the
mountains where he takes these raw materials,
combined with his natural talents, to create
traditional Amis-style crafts. His work ranges
from delicately woven bamboo containers to
small wooden cabins, most being functional
items that he uses in his daily life. He also
uses some leftover materials to create a recycled
sculptural piece that has the appearance of
a motorcycle. Although this caught a buyer's
attention, the artist refused to sell it because
he considered it an experimental model with
lots of room for improvement.
Going back to the traditional lifestyle of
his ancestors, his retired life has been fulfilling
for him for the most part. He keeps himself
rather busy, spending the majority of his time
up in the mountains living with nature. He
often worries that his ancestors' knowledge
and skills will slowly become a mere legend
for the younger generations, and uses his talents
to make traditional Amis-style crafts as an
effort to prolong the original spirit of his
tribe.
See that man wearing the straw hat? That would
be Liu Lin Liang Fa, an artist and exceptional
member of his tribe dedicated to maintaining
the true Amis spirit.
|
