Project Background

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At first, the anthropologists divided the Atayal Tribe into Atayal and Sedek based on the aspects of legends of origins, languages, and etc. However, due to the vast differences in the ways of life and languages between Atayal and Sedek, three tribes are officially grouped and classified at the end. They are Atayal, Truku, and Seediq. All three tribes possess the custom of facial tattoos, but variations do exist due to other cultural differences between tribes.

During the Qing Dynasty, the Sedek, which included the Truku and Seediq today, established three tribal groups of Truku, Tkdaya, and Teuda within the region of Ren-rai Township, Nantou County. With each tribal group’s increasing population, these three groups expanded and spread widely along many river terraces, tablelands, and foothills in the alpine areas of eastern Taiwan. These rivers includeHeping River, Liwu River, Mugua River, Chiyakan River, Wanli River, Taiping River, and Lekuleku River. After the Wushe Incident between 1931 and 1937, the Japanese Government forced all tribes resided in the Central Mountain Range to migrate to the location where they are now today.

The current distribution of Truku tribe ranges from Heping River to Taiping River, covering Songlin, Lushan, and Jingguan of Nantou County Ren-ai Township, Hualien County Shioulin Township and Wanrong Township, Chosi Township Lishan Village, and Chi-an Township Chingfeng Village, Nanhua Village, and Fuhsing Village. Currently, Hualien County Shioulin Township and Wanrong Village cover the biggest Truku population in Taiwan.

During the history, Truku tribe has been used to migrate. The historical data about Truku people are limited due to their habit of living in the deep and vast mountains, loose distribution of residents, and living on their own, making it difficult for outsiders to visit or contact them. However, their diversified, unique and rich cultures are still worthy of our researches.