Population: Estimated at 697
The Sakizaya have resided on Hualien’s Qilai Plain for centuries. Their tribal territories extend from Liwu River to the north, Mugua River to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the east, and are bounded on the west by the Qilai Mountains. In earlier times, the Sakizaya people established as many as ten major settlements in this region. Historical records of the Sakizaya in the 17th century during the Dutch and Spanish occupations, as well as references by Han immigrants to Hualien as “Qilai” both testify to the strong presence of the Sakizaya people in northern Hualien several hundred years ago.
In 1878, mainland Qing forces entered rural Taiwan and attempted to Sinicize the indigenous peoples by instigating the Takobowan Battle (historically known as the Karewan Incident). The Sakizaya allied with the Kavalan peoples against the Qing forces but to no avail. After the conflict subsided, the Qing applied a policy of “mandatory relocation and dispersionly known as the , forcing remaining Sakizaya to be subsumed into Amis tribes or other regions across Taiwan. From that day, the Sakizaya “vanished” from history and became a wandering people.
On January 17, 2007, after 129 years of displacement and a 17-year campaign for rectification of their tribal status, the Sakizaya were finally granted official recognition and once again reinstated as one of the island's 13 (currently 16) indigenous tribes. October’s “Palamal” (Worship of the Fire God) is one of the Sakizaya’s most important annual rituals; the tribe is also known for their unique tradition of "Hamaybaki” (Blessings of the Elders); and “Misapunis” (village hike and picnic) which unifies tribes people against danger and disaster. Other distinctive traditions that are practiced only by the Sakizaya include an age-class system (sral), the planting of thorny bamboo as fortifications against invaders, and the interpretation of split thorny bamboo branches as ancestral oracles.
Tribal clothing consists mostly of golden yellow and carmine red with decorative sea blue, charcoal black, mud brown, pearly white, and vibrant green trimmings. Women adorn headdresses that symbolize “thorny bamboo fencing” and “mothers’ tears,” while the men wear headpieces of “triangular divine imprints” and “triumphant plumage.” All headpieces have long trailing sashes that symbolize fertility and prosperity. The Sakizaya uphold the belief that the mandate of the gods is expressed through “Wind, Rain, Earth, and Fire," while it is the duty of man to “worship divinity, work with diligence, respect the self, and love others.”
Reference Source： Tuku Sayun