The story of uncle Atayal’s rattan weaving course in Wulai Township

A few day prior to Chinese New Year, a diverse group of people from all over the country converged in Wulai Township, New Taipei City. This was the 3rd lesson of the first phase in uncle Atayal’s weaving course, where students began to study the actual skill of weaving. The content of the first two lessons covered collection of the vine, cutting course and fine cross-sections, fixing the width, and forming the thickness. Learning rattan weaving is anything but easy, but actually negotiating the mountains to collect the vine, is even more difficult; additionally, the vine must be processed on immediate return from the mountains. In today’s modern society, such a complicated, time-consuming and laborious process means that it is difficult to attract the younger generation. The thing that uncle Atayal is most concerned about, is whether this traditional ethnic art form will be passed down to the next generation of indigenous people, or even the Atayal people. On this course, however, the majority of students are not indigenous, with only three of the students coming from indigenous backgrounds - Pingpu Siraya Tribe and Kaxabu Tribe.

The story of uncle Atayal’s rattan weaving course in Wulai Township
URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/232281

(以下是中文對照)
泰雅爺爺的藤編課 烏來鄉野故事I

照片

農曆春節前幾天，一群來自全台各地的伙伴在新北市烏來信賢村集合，這是泰雅爺爺開設第一期藤編課的第三次上課，學員開始正式學習藤編技巧。前兩次課程內容則是上山取藤及粗剖、細剖、定寬、整厚。藤編技藝學習是不容易的事，而事前的上山砍取黃藤更不輕鬆，取藤下來後也必須立即處理，在現代社會裡，如此繁複費時費力的製作過程，要吸引年輕一代投入學習確實有困難。泰雅爺爺最在意的是，族群傳統技藝是否能傳承給下一代原住民、甚至泰雅族人？不過此次的學員大部份是非原住民，僅有三位是平埔族群的西拉雅族和葛哈巫族。