Amis people

The Amis (zh-cp|c=阿美族|p=āměi-zú; also Ami or Pangcah) are an indigenous people of Taiwan. They speak an Austronesian language and are one of the thirteen officially recognized peoples of Taiwanese aborigines. The traditional territory of the Amis include the long, narrow valley between the Central Mountains and the Coastal Mountains, the Pacific coastal plain eastern to the Coastal Mountains, and the Hengchun Peninsula.

In the year 2000 the Ami numbered 148,992. This was approximately 37.5% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the largest tribal group. [Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. (DGBAS). National Statistics, Republic of China (Taiwan). [http://eng.stat.gov.tw/public/Data/511114261371.rtf "Preliminary statistical analysis report of 2000 Population and Housing Census"] . Excerpted from Table 28:Indigenous population distribution in Taiwan-Fukien Area. Accessed PM 8/30/06] The Amis are primarily fishermen due to their coastal location. They are traditionally matrilineal. [ [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ami] ] Traditional Amis villages were relatively large for indigenous groups, typically between 500 and 1,000. In today's Taiwan, the Amis also comprise the majority of "urban aboriginals" and have developed many "urban tribes" all around the island.

Identity and classification

The Amis people generally identify themselves as Pangcah, which means "human" or "people of our kind." Nonetheless, in today's Taiwan, Amis is much more frequently used. This name comes from the word amis, meaning "north." There is still no consensus in the academic circle how "Amis" came to be used to address the Pangcah. One supposition is that it was originally used by the Puyuma to call the Pangcah, as the Pangcah lived to the north of them. Another supposition holds that those who lived in the Taitung Plain called themselves "Amis" because their ancestors had come from the north. The later explanation is recorded in the "Banzoku Chōsa Hōkokusho" ("Survey Reports on the Savages", 1913-1918, Taipei. See: vol.8, p.4), indicating this might originate from what is classified by anthropologists as Falangaw Amis, the Amis group located from today's Chengkong to the Taitung Plain. Their closest genetic relative appears to be the Filipinos [ [http://biology.plosjournals.org/archive/1545-7885/3/8/pdf/10.1371_journal.pbio.0030247-p-S.pdf plbi-03-08-05 1..11 ] ] [http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/AJHG_2001_v68_p432.pdf] .

According to "Taiwanese Aboriginal History: Amis", the Amis are classified into five groups:

* Northern group (located on the Chihlai/Hualien Plain)
* Middle group (located west to the Coastal Mountains)
* Coastal group (located east to the Coastal Mountains)
* Falangaw group (located between Chengkong and the Taitung Plain)
* Hengchun group (located on the Hengchun Peninsula)

Note that such classification, however widely accepted, is merely based on the geographical distribution and tribal migration. It does not match the observed differences in culture, language, and physiques.

Other information

Family affairs including finance of the family are decided by the female householder, in the Ami tradition. Not many people may have seen the Ami, but many people may have heard the Ami. The musical project Enigma used an Ami chant in their song "Return to Innocence" in their second album, "The Cross of Changes". This song was the theme song of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The main chorus of it was sung by Difang (Chinese name Kuo Ying-nan) and his wife, Igay (Chinese name Kuo Hsiu-chu), part of a Taiwanese aboriginal cultural performance group. Maison des Cultures du Monde recorded their singing while they were on tour and released a CD, which was subsequently used by Enigma (without mentioning the ethnic origin of the song and the singers). The case was later settled out of court. Ami singing is known for its complex contraputal polyphony.

Famous people of Ami ancestry include baseball player Chin-hui Tsao, Olympic decathlete Yang Chuan-kwang, and singers Chang Chen-yue and Tank.

The most important traditional ceremony is the Harvest Festival. The Ami's Harvest festival is to show the people's thanks and appreciations to the gods and to pray for harvest in the next coming year. It takes place every July to September. [http://tour.taitung.gov.tw/english/cultureart/festivals2.asp]

References

* Hsu "et al.", "Taiwanese Aboriginal History: Amis", Taipei: 2001. ISBN 957-02-8013-1 and ISBN 957-02-8003-4. (Chinese language)

External links

* [http://www.apc.gov.tw/english/docDetail/detail_ethnic.jsp?cateID=A000201&linkParent=147&linkSelf=147&linkRoot=101 Taiwanese government page on the Amis]
* [http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/local/web/Eng/TermDetail.aspx?Para=6 Amis Festivals]