The Institute of Ethnology (IOE), Academia Sinica, organized an exhibition titled “The Kadadalranane Road (Kadadalranane路．手舞．足蹈)” in the Kudrengere Tribe (谷川部落) in Wutai Township (霧台鄉), Pingtung County. Based on the concept of “trade route,” this exhibition showcases the history and culture of the Rukai, one of Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan.
This exhibition is co-curated by cultural worker Peresang Sukinarhimi and IOE Research Fellow Lin Wen-ling (林文玲). It presents the latest results of field research and academic studies as well as the knowledge of the tribes.
Besides selecting ten artifacts of the Eastern Rukai and the Western Rukai from the collection of Academia Sinica, this exhibition also showcases 29 pieces of artifacts and video recordings from the Rukai Museum in Wutai, Kudrengere Tribe, and Shenshan Tribe (神山部落).
Chang Hsun (張珣), research fellow and the director of IOE, said that since 2017, IOE has encouraged local communities and organizations that own cultural artifacts to collaborate with the research fellows from the institute. This collaborative exhibition marks its fifth edition this year.
The IOE mentioned that with the help of the community, this exhibition is set in the Rukai’s traditional slabstone houses, which makes it extraordinarily meaningful with the artifacts returning to their original place.
The exhibition is divided into five sections: “Imai and Makalrilaw” presents the evolution of fabric used within the Rukai community; “Healing for Warmth” tells the story of the Rukai people trading medicinal herbs collected from the mountains with the Han people; “Malraici Turns ‘Words’ to ‘Names’” introduces Rukai nomenclature.
Also, “Kudrengere Tribe: A Collection of Modern Life” exhibits life before typhoon Morakot struck the tribe in 2009; and “Packing for Happiness” displays the creative bags—a fusion of traditional craft and modern material—made by the women from the Kudrengere Tribe.
This exhibition opens now until Feb. 29, 2024. For more information, please visit https://reurl.cc/y6bve6.