National Museum of Ethnology, Japan "TRAJECTORIA"

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2021 Vol.2

Muakai’s Wedding

Su Hung-En Phbah Film Production Ltd.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.15021/00009644
(Published March 31, 2021)

Abstract

In 1932, Muakai from the Zingrur royal family of the Kaviyangan village was collected by the Japanese and accessioned into the Taihoku Imperial University (former name of the National Taiwan University, abbr. NTU) and stood silently in a corner of the Museum of Anthropology. Considering to apply Muakai for the National Treasure, Professor Chia-yu Hu of NTU went back to the village in 2014 and discussed related issues with Muakai’s long-lost family and village members. As a result, a spectacular traditional Paiwan wedding was held at NTU for Muakai in September 2015. Why did it take place? What does it mean to the indigenous community, the university, and the society?
Key Words indigenous culture, artefact repatriation, Taiwan, cultural heritage, Paiwan

Film

Su, Hung-En
2018
Muakai’s Wedding. Produced by Phbah Film Production Ltd., Published by Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Taichung, 59 min.
https://vimeo.com/513299343 (Retrieved February 2, 2021)

NTU Museum of Anthropology

website: https://reurl.cc/3NN4pL

The Museum of Anthropology of National Taiwan University (NTU) was established in 1928 under Japanese rule. Along with the setting up of the Institute of Ethnology (土俗人種學講座), Taihoku Imperial University, an anthropology discipline-inspired systematic collection began. The major portion of the museum’s 5000 collection also comes from the Japanese colonization period, including ethnological artefacts, photos, films, recordings, etc. The ethnological artefacts procured from Ino Kanori (伊能嘉矩), the pioneering scholar of Taiwan indigenous cultures, constitute some of the most remarkable collections in the museum.

Since 2010, the Museum of Anthropology, originally a research and teaching facility, has been relocated and transformed into a university museum serving the public as well as academia. With a new mission and new ideas of exhibition, it endeavours to facilitate and enhance cross-cultural understanding.

The “Ethnology Exhibition Hall” is now open in the old general library of NTU. Fundraising activities for the upcoming “Archaeology Exhibition Hall” are still in progress.

For more information about the “Archaeology Exhibition Hall” fundraising project, please see: https://reurl.cc/4yaaOv