For hundreds or thousands of years, the Pavavaljung family of the Paiwan have always been known as Pulima, the people who are not only great craftsmen but also great storytellers.  For the past century, three generations of the Pavavaljung, celebrated both their own lives and the family’s core value in ways that reflect the eras of their generation.  

In 2009, their traditional land was hit hard by the Morakot Typhoon. For the first time in about 400 years, they had to relocate to a place to domicile.  Unlike the lives at their traditional lands, their new homes caused them to lose the connection to their ancestors and their tribe lost 63 members within 5 years, an astonishing number given the tribe only had less than eight hundred people. One of the Etan’s installation works, “The aroma from the wind on the hill”, is meant to remember all their lost tribe members, and can also be a great piece to help us reflect amidst the lingering pandemic.

What does family, arts, and Inidgenous heritage mean to each of the three Pavavaljung generations?  From the perspectives of home, the tribe, the world and mother nature, let’s explore what’s ahead of us with the Pulima.