Unique among all indigenous festivals, the paSta'ay festival (矮靈祭) of the aboriginal Saisiyat tribe (賽夏族) has been designated as a national folk heritage.
The biggest difference between paSta'ay and other indigenous festivals in Taiwan is that it is not a joyous festival in celebration of bountiful harvests. Instead, it carries the implications of atonement and reconciliation.
The decision first received unanimous support from the Ministry of Culture's review committee in September 2013. After deliberation among elders from the northern and southern branches of the Saisiyat tribe, the certification ceremony was held on Oct. 24 next to the Xiangtian Lake in Miaoli County.
The paSta'ay festival takes its name from the word ta'ay, which stands for a legendary tribe of short stature. Standing just over a metertall, the ta'ay people taught the Saisiyat aborigines how to farm; however, dispute over the ta'ay treatment of Saisiyat women led to a wipeout of the ta'ay, leaving behind only two elders who imparted their festival knowledge before disappearing.
To appease the spirits of the dead ta'ay people, the Saisiyat tribe began to hold festivals in ta'ay tradition. The paSta'ay now takes place biennially, and a grander edition is held once every decade. The next large-scale festival will take place next year in mid-October of the lunar calendar at the Xiangtian Lake festival field in Nanzhuang, Miaoli County and Da-yi festival field in Wufeng, Hsinchu County.
Of the 17 national folk heritage celebrations designated by the Ministry of Culture, paSta'ayis the first tradition that crosses over two administrative districts, Miaoli and Hsinchu.
Since paSta'ay is held respectively at the southern and northern festival fields, the representatives from the southern branch of the Saisiyat tribe in Miaoli and the northern branch in Hsinchu must meet to discuss and agree on festival details so that the festival can be accomplished smoothly, which fully demonstrates the spirit of ethnic brotherhood and mutual cooperation.
The paSta'ay festival lasts more than one month and can largely be divided into three stages: preparation work, festival rituals, and post-ritual sharing of gifts. Each stage has its own set of rituals and taboos that require strict adherence. The southern festival kicks off at Xiangtian Lake in Miaoli, and the northern festival starts the next day at Da-yi in Hsinchu.
The first two days of the six-day festival is not opened to outsiders, and the remaining three nights comprise of consecutive singing and dancing rituals. Songs of sacrifice are believed to hold divine power of atonement and ward off disasters, and the entire tribe participate in the dances.
Unique Saisiyat relics, such as snake penises, shoulder flags bearing surnames, and hip bells are also featured prominently in the festival. The enthusiastic participation showcases the Saisiyat tribe's strong sense of identity and cohesion.
Reference:
http://digitalarchives.tw/Exhibition/2843/1.html(Chinese only)