Human’s thirst for knowledge is endless, but perhaps this is the power behind progress.　A stick of yam, a bowl of rice or a steak can fill your stomach.　A cloth, a dress or a piece of hide can fulfil the need of cover.　A house, a flat or mansion can provide cover.　These are all different levels of need.　The worsening earth environment, the hole in the ozone, melting polar ice-caps, rapidly changing harsh weather, garbage disposal problems, mass deforestation, over-cultivation of hills, mass killing of animals and over-usage of pesticides have led to difficulty in our survival.　Landfalls, floods and cancer can all be regarded as the earth’s response.　It is the time for humans, the top of the species, to review our ways, since the key to our survival are to decrease our needs and simplify our living.

　The Paiwan Tribesmen have resided in the mountains for over a thousand years.　Their ways have always been to live as one with the forest by eating self-grown rice, yam and sweet-potatoes and hunting for meat.　They wore animal hide and woven clothing and lived in slabs houses obtained from the land.　They also traveled only with their feet.　These are all ways that will maintain the lush lands of Taiwan, so shouldn’t we learn from aboriginal knowledge to revive Taiwan’s lush soil?

Researched and recorded by: Hsiao-ning, Hsiao-rong, Hsiao-rou, Hsiao-wen

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