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.

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.

Day 5: Welcomed by the Puyallup

On the fifth day of the 2017 Tribal Journeys Taiwan-USA Exchange program, after two members of the Tao tribal delegation paddled in the host family's canoe, they settled in with the Puyallup Tribe in Tacoma, Washington. They were warmly welcomed by the local tribe. Gary Smoke also took scenic photos of the area.

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.

Videos from the 2017 Tribal Journeys

Gary Smoke, Director of International Affairs of the ATAYAL organization has taken many videos of the cultural exchange program with the Tao Tribal Delegation from Taiwan while they participate in the 2017 Tribal Journeys.

You can see more video on the Gary Smoke YouTube Channel.

 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 3: Made it to Nisqually

On the third day of the 2017 Tribal Journeys Taiwan-USA Exchange program, Will Tsang (He is from Taiwan's Atayal tribe), Gary Smoke and three members of the Tao tribal delegation finally had a chance to meet Hanford McCloud and the host Native American family in Nisqually, WA. It was there that they witnessed the first canoe landing.

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.