The Sustainability of Paiwan Food Plants

The relationship between Paiwan and their food plantsare examined in terms of the functional roles of foodprocessing technologies and traditional ceremonies onthe sustainability of Paiwan food plants. Threespecific case studies of Paiwan food plants arepresented as examples of possible outcomes ofchanges. The persistence of traditional practices isnot only dependent on finding new cultural meaning totraditional cultural practice but also the economicmeans to create the environment that is conducive totheir continuous existence. The Paiwan are undergoinga period when they are being challenged to preservetheir cultural identity while at the same time, adaptto social and economical pressures. In addition, thevillage landscapes of several Amis villages inHualien County were also surveyed. There is asignificant difference between the Paiwan and Amis interms of the number of food plants, or specifically,ancient food plants found in the villages. Thisstudy has demonstrated that ancient food plantspecies composition in a village can be used as anindicator for cultural identity. The implication isthat village landscape does reflect cultural identity.