BUNUN
Excerpts from Wikipedia.org
The Bunun (布農), also historically known as the Vonum (The Island of Formosa Past and Present, James W. Davidson - e-book), are a tribe of Taiwanese aborigines and are best-known for their sophisticated polyphonic vocal music. They speak the Bunun language. Unlike other aboriginal tribes in Taiwan, the Bunun are widely dispersed across the island. In the year 2000 the Bunun numbered 41,038. This was approximately 10% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the fourth-largest tribal group. They have five distinct sub-tribes: the Takbunuaz, the Takituduh, the Takibaka, the Takivatan, and the Isbukun.
History
Until the coming of the Christian missionaries in the beginning of the 20th century, the Bunun were known to be fierce warriors and headhunters. The Bunun were one of the "high-mountain tribes" (along with the Atayal and the Taroko) who traditionally lived in small family units in Taiwan's Central Mountain Range and were hostile to all outsiders, whether they be Chinese immigrants or surrounding aboriginal tribes. Whereas most other aborigines were quite sedentary and tended to live in lower areas, the Bunun, along with the Atayal and Taroko were constantly on the move in Taiwan's Central Mountain Range, looking for new hunting grounds and practicing slash-and-burn agriculture. Their staple foods were millet, yam, and game.
During the Japanese rule (1895-1945), the Bunun were among the last tribes to be "pacified" by the Japanese government in residence. After an initial period of fierce resistance, they were forced to move down from the mountains and concentrated into a number of lowland villages that were spread across the Island. As a result, the family unit became less important and life centred around individual village units. The Japanese government restricted hunting practices (mainly to control the use of firearms) and introduced wet rice cultivation. Many Bunun were recruited as local policemen and during WWII, the Japanese army had Bunun regiments.
Throughout the 20th century, several waves of missionaries of various denominations spread across Taiwan. They were particularly successful with the aboriginal inhabitants of the island and after the last missionary wave in the 1940s, that originated in Japan, a majority of aborigines was converted to Christianity. Today, most Bunun either belong to the Catholic Church or to the local Presbyterian Church.
After the arrival of the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang in October 1945, difficult days began for the aboriginal population. The "one language, one culture" policy of the Nationalist government prohibited to use of any language other than Mandarin Chinese, for official use as well as in daily life, and indigenous cultures were systematically discriminated against and encouraged to assimilate in the mainstream. Bunun culture was eroded by the joined pressure of their new faith and of the government's policy of sinification. The situation improved only recently, when after two decades of democratic reforms, the DPP came to power after the 2000 elections.
The Bunun language (布農語) is spoken by the Bunun people of Taiwan. It belongs to the Formosan languages, a subgroup of the Austronesian language family, and is subdivided in five dialects: Isbukun, Takbunuaz, Takivatan, Takibaka and Takituduh. Isbukun, the dominant dialect, is mainly spoken in the south of Taiwan. Takbunuaz and Takivatan are mainly spoken in the center of the country. Takibaka en Takituduh both are northern dialects. A sixth dialect, Takipulan, went extinct in the 1970s.
The Saaroa and Kanakanabu, two smaller minority groups who share their territory with an Isbukun Bunun group, have also adopted Bunun as their vernacular.
Classification of Austronesian Languages
- Tsouic
- Western Plains
- Northwest Formosan
- Atayalic
- East Formosan
- Northern (Kavalanic)
- Basai (Trobiawan, Linaw-Qauqaul dialects)
- Kavalan
- Ketagalan
- Central (Ami)
- Nataoran (North Amis)
- Amis
- Siraya
- Malayo-Polynesian
- Northern (Kavalanic)
- Bunun
- Rukai (Mantauran, Tona, and Maga dialects are divergent)
- Puyuma
- Paiwan (southern tip of Formosa)

















































