|
“Mazazangiljan” family is not only the center of the traditional Paiwanese life, but also the source of the common memory of the history of the clan. When Paiwanese
people introduce themselves, they will usually indicate which Mazazangiljan they affiliate with. The Mazazangiljan is the center of its affiliated people’s life activities,
such as religious rituals, wedding ceremonies, politics, as well as livelihood. Furthermore, Mazazangiljan is the symbol of the group. It represents the honor of the clan, or
the hamlet.
The aim of this study was to rebuild the Paiwanese history. It attempted to make use of oral data and printed documents, and then to systemize the lineages of the Paiwanese Mazazangiljans. There were a number of obstacles to the study, such as incomplete documents, loss of memories by the elders, and different versions of the
memories. Nevertheless, the writer sought to investigate and examine relationships among various Mazazangiljan’s lineages. During the research period, the writer found out that the Paiwanese Mazazangiljan system and relationship of the Mazazangiljans’ lineages had been influenced and altered by two major factors. First, during the historical development, after a long time of interaction and acculturation with its neighboring tribes, the Paiwanese tribe branched into five groups. The writer used the Cimo group, which is geographically at the center of the five groups, as a central base to find out the development of and
change in the relationships of the groups. Second, it is the intervention of the state. The writer describes how the Mazazangiljan system collapsed after the Paiwanese
groups were incorporated into the national system and the intervention of the state. The writer further explored the possibility of resurrecting the culture and rebuilding
the traditional Paiwanese system after understanding the development of its history.
|