Christmas in Wulai VII

Our seventh annual Christmas in Wulai event kicked off in front of the Wulai Atayal Museum on Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 1:00 pm under sunny, blue skies. The weather was perfect. The volunteers were full of enthusiasm and spirit. And the visitors on Wulai Old Street poured in steadily, taking advantage of the good weather.

Our performers for the day were:

1) The Poorhouse Band
2) James and Roxane
3) Omar and Mark Mark
4) Jaden Coolidge
5) The Christmas Carolers

Santa Claus made an appearance at about 2:00 pm, and walked down Old Street, with his carolers in tow. Volunteers passed out cookies (donated by sponsor Babi Corp) and gifts to passersby. He returned for photos, while the performances continued. More cookies were distributed, songs were sung, and friends were made.

Christmas in Wulai is our annual event, bringing people from around Taiwan and the world to the indigenous community of Wulai to share Christmas cheer. We cannot organize this event without the love of our volunteers and the generosity of our sponsors. Thank you to Babi Corp for the delicious cookies. Thank you William Ling for organising our tent.

For more photos, check out our photo gallery.

Day 12: Tao Canoe Blessing at Burke Museum

On the twelfth day of the 2017 Tribal Journeys Taiwan-USA Exchange program, after the Tribal Journeys portion of the trip concluded, the members of the Tao tribal delegation traveled to Seattle for a special purpose. There was a traditional Tao tribal canoe that was in the storage warehouse. It was shipped to Seattle by way of Taiwan long ago by the owner of Ivar's seafood restaurant, and later was donated to the Burke Museum.

Syaman Lamuran, a member of the Tao delegation visited the vessel to see of it could regain the it's spirit. Along with the Liugui Choir from Taiwan, Syaman offered the blessing in indigenous style.

This journey is made possible with the support of our supporters and sponsors like Glossika, which supports the preservation of languages, including endangered indigenous languages, through its language databases and teaching tools.

Snapshots from the First Canoe Landing

    Throughout the 2017 Tribal Journeys, Syaman Lamuran and Syaman Manaralay from the Tao Tribe delegation is connecting with Hanford McCloud and other leaders of tribal nations in the Pacific Northwest. They hope to learn how Native American tribes engage with governments on issues of environmental stewardship and tribal sovereignty. They will bring this knowledge back to Lanyu Island where the presence of nuclear waste still persist. Many participants in the canoe journey have been curious about the Tao tribe and the delegation has been excited to share their culture. One of the videos they share is about the inauguration ceremony of newly constructed boats and the natural beauty of Lanyu Island. 

This journey is made possible with the support of our supporters and sponsors like Glossika, which supports the preservation of languages, including endangered indigenous languages, through its language databases and teaching tools.

Day 6: Meeting the Muckleshoot

On the sixth day of the 2017 Tribal Journeys Taiwan-USA Exchange program, the members of the Tao tribal delegation traveled up the peninsula to join the Muckleshoot Tribe. They met many other people during the landing ceremony, and eventually camped in the tent and proudly showed Taiwan's flag.

This journey is made possible with the support of our supporters and sponsors like Glossika, which supports the preservation of languages, including endangered indigenous languages, through its language databases and teaching tools.