A song of Tsou identity and aboriginal autonomy
Uyongu Yatauyungana (吾雍．雅達烏猶卡那) was a Tsou educator and musician who was born during the Japanese colonial era. His academic prowess afforded him a higher education not widely available to those of aboriginal heritage at that time, yet Yatauyungana duly applied what he learned from Japanese and Western knowledge towards advocating for aboriginal autonomy and improving the livelihoods of Taiwan's indigenous peoples.
He took up piano at the age of 18 upon enrolling in Tainan Normal School, and began a lifelong affair with writing music that reflected his interests and social concerns. For example, he wrote a trilogy of songs that successfully encouraged tribe members to branch out and populate new villages like Sinvi and Cayamavana.
His simple but truthful lyrics in the Tsou language, "umuauzi puhpungu ihyonzu yaecoino yano maoomiya," spoke of grounds so fertile that everyone would be envious. The words he chose also incorporated blessings for the tribe from those who chose to immigrate: "We are moving far away to a good land / We will miss everyone here / Please take care of your body (ho noecuhutomo umunuci pupungu / demusola daruana inaoahungu / demusola aururua inafeyangomu)."
Yatauyungana was also committed to preserving and recording the Tsou language and culture, and he winded up collaborating with Soviet linguist Nikolai Aleksandrovich Nevsky, who was visiting from Japan, on an introductory Tsou dictionary in 1927.
However, by 1952, Yatauyungana was arrested on corruption charges and for advocating aboriginal autonomy under Nationalist rule. He was imprisoned by the Security Command, becoming one of the victims of the White Terror — on April 17, 1954, he was executed by the military police in Taipei.
Yatauyungana's music reveals the depth of his concern for his home and people, including songs depicting Tsou life, encouraging migration, and promoting agriculture. While imprisoned, he wrote pieces nostalgic for the scenery of his home and encouragement for his wife to stay strong. He was a pioneer in modern Tsou composition, creating a number of songs that have become mainstays and inspired revolutionary changes in Tsou folk music. His people finally had modern songs of their own to sing, and this launched a new growth in the depth and meaning of modern Alishan Tsou music.
In honor of his legacy, the National Human Rights Museum has released a trilingual edition of a children's book to memorialize his life, accompanied by an audiobook and Tsou songs.