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by three local youths
—
Laung (Chiang A-Kuang),
Abus (Tien Hui-An), and Atul (Tien Chu-Sheng)
—
through interviews with elders Aki Vilian and Aki
Laung. Beyond documenting the forms of these
objects, they used the crafts as a bridge to ask the
elders about life on the mountain. Knowing that
some memories live more vividly in the body than in
speech, and some only surface in specific places,
the trio held onto a promise made by elder Aki Buaq
to take them into the highlands. Months later, they
made the journey.
Driving up winding mountain roads, Aki Buaq led
them from the Tungkuang community to find a
Life Rooted in the Botanical
Objects tell stories. They summon scenes of the
past and reveal a way of life. In the world of the
Bunun, the paper mulberry tree conjures images
of swift movement: young boys using bark balls as
targets to hone their archery, or stripping bark to tie
up food bundles. The gourd speaks of abundance
and preservation
—
carrying water, storing seeds, or
hanging from a cook
’
s waist as a fragrant vessel for
spices.
These snapshots of botanical life were recorded
Wanrong Township
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