( ontheworldmap.com )
Also shown are:
Green Island (Lu Dao) & Orchid Island (Lan Yu).
( cia.gov )
( nouahsark.com )
Alternate spellings or names:
Taroko (Truku, Seediq); Yami (Tao)
( wikipedia . org )
( geology . com )
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Click here to return to the CloudBridgeProject Home Page
for Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples
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THE MAKATAO PEOPLE – 平埔族 (山脚人)
- The Makatao Indigenous People (馬卡道族) are one of Taiwan’s Plains Indigenous (Pingpu) peoples, with deep historical roots in southern Taiwan, especially areas that today include Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung County—a region you’ve shown interest in before.
- The Makatao are an Austronesian Indigenous people who traditionally lived on the southwestern plains of Taiwan, long before large-scale Han Chinese settlement. Like other Pingpu groups, they experienced early and intense contact with outside powers.
They are culturally and linguistically related to neighboring plains groups such as the Siraya and Taivoan, and many scholars consider these peoples part of a broader Siraya cultural sphere. - Historically, Makatao villages were concentrated in:
Southern Tainan
Northern and central Kaohsiung
Western and southern Pingtung County
Their communities were typically located near rivers and fertile plains, supporting wet-rice agriculture and trade. - The Makatao language belongs to the Siraya language group within the Austronesian family.
It is no longer spoken fluently today, though:
Word lists and prayers were recorded by Dutch missionaries in the 17th century
Modern revitalization efforts draw on these historical records. - Society and Culture
Social Organization
Villages were largely self-governing
Leadership was often held by village elders or ritual specialists
Society emphasized communal decision-making
Beliefs and Spiritual Life
The Makatao practiced animism, believing in:
Ancestor spirits
Nature spirits connected to land, rivers, and forests
Ritual life included:
Seasonal ceremonies
Healing rituals
Spirit-medium traditions
Some Makatao rituals and beliefs closely resemble those of the Siraya, reflecting shared cultural heritage. - History and Colonization
Dutch Period (1624–1662)
The Makatao were among the plains peoples encountered by the Dutch East India Company
Some villages were Christianized, leaving written records of language and customs
Qing Dynasty and Later
Large-scale Han Chinese settlement led to:
Loss of land
Intermarriage
Gradual assimilation
Many Makatao people adopted Han surnames and customs but retained Indigenous identity in family memory and ritual practice - Modern Status and Recognition
The Makatao are not officially recognized as one of Taiwan’s 16 nationally recognized Indigenous peoples
They are generally classified as a Pingpu (Plains Indigenous) group
However:
Some local governments have offered local or cultural recognition
Makatao cultural associations actively promote:
Historical research
Ritual revival
Indigenous identity education
Their situation is similar to other unrecognized plains groups such as the Siraya and Taivoan. - Contemporary Identity
Today, Makatao descendants can be found throughout southern Taiwan, especially in Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Many people:
Identify as both Han Chinese and Indigenous
Are participating in movements for:
Official recognition
Cultural revitalization - wikipedia.org – Makatao people – 平埔族 (山脚人) @ Wikipedia . org
- wikipedia.org – 馬卡道族 – The Makato Tribe @ Wikipedia . org (Chinese)
- wikipedia.org – Jiaruipu Temple – 加蚋埔公廨 @ Wikipedia . org
- wikipedia.org – 馬卡道語 – Makadao language @ Wikipedia . org (Chinese)
- wikipedia.org – The Plains Indigenous Peoples – 平埔族群 @ Wikipedia . org
- insight.ipcf.org.tw – “The Diverse & Vivacious Makatao People” @ Indigenous Insight e-zine (published by the Indigenous People Cultural Foundation, Taipei).
- taiwaninsight.org – “Unrecognised Indigenous Groups of Taiwan and their Struggle for Language Revival” @ Taiwan Insight e-zine (an online magazine of The Taiwan Research Hub, a research centre based at the University of Nottingham (U.K.) focusing on contemporary Taiwan).
- twreporter.org – 馬卡道在哪裡？沿山公路的平埔族群認同之旅 – Where is Makadao? A journey of identity for the Pingpu people along the mountain road @ The Reporter (an online media outlet established by the Reporter Cultural Foundation)
- youtube.com – Matriarchal Past of Taiwan’s Makatao Indigenous People @ Youtube . com
- youtube.com – 馬卡道在哪裡 – Where is Makato? @ Youtube . com
- https://www.taiwanplus.com
- https://www.bbc.com
- https://iwgia.org
- https://www.wanderlustmagazine.com
- https://www.bridgemanimages.com
- https://www.aljazeera.com
- https://taiwaninsight.org
- https://taiwaneverything.cc
- https://oftaiwan.org
- https://thechinaproject.com
- https://taiwaninsight.org
- https://www.bbc.com
- https://www.youtube.com
- https://www.youtube.com
- https://www.youtube.com
- https://www.taiwanplus.com
- https://www.taiwan-panorama.com
- https://jacobin.com
- https://dtaic.npust.edu.tw
- https://www.taiwanobsessed.com
- https://www.bradtguides.com
- https://taiwantoday.tw
- https://kaiwakiloumoku.ksbe.edu
- https://bambangpriantono.com
- https://www.taiwanplus.com
- https://oftaiwan.org
- https://www.taipeitimes.com – New Years with the Makatao
- https://www.taipeitimes.com – Two Aboriginal groups gain recognition
- https://www.taipeitimes.com – Pingpu groups stage rally to demand recognition
- https://www.taipeitimes.com – Pingtung Makatao to receive funding boost to preserve traditions, festivals
- https://www.taipeitimes.com – Makatao community files for official indigenous status
- https://www.politico.eu – Taiwan’s Indigenous tribes could hold the key to its independence
- qz.com – Taiwan’s indigenous people remind Xi Jinping that it has “never belonged to China” @
- thenewslens.com – Taiwan’s Indigenous to Xi: Taiwan Is Not China, Xi Does Not ‘Understand Dignity’ @ The News Lense website
- taiwanobsessed.com – 9 Meaningful Ways to Experience Indigenous Culture in Taiwan @ Nick Kembel’s “Taiwan Obsessed” website (Terrific site !!)
- washington.edu – From Reconciliation to Action: Taiwan’s Pathway to Indigenous Educational Sovereignty @
- lifeoftaiwan.com – People & Languages of Taiwan @ Life of Taiwan . com
- taiwaneverything.cc – Taiwan’s Indigenous Tribes @ Taiwan Everything blog
- polishgirlintaiwan..com – Tainan Travel: Guantian Visitor Center – Siraya National Scenic Area @ Polish Girl in Taiwan blog
- EASY SEARCH FOR MORE LINKS ! . . . . .
- scholar.google.com – The Makatao People – 平埔族 (山脚人) @ Google Scholar
- youtube.com – The Makatao People – 平埔族 (山脚人) @ You Tube . com
- images.google.com – The Makatao People – 平埔族 (山脚人) @ Google Images
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LATEST PAGE UPDATE: December 29 , 2025 .
最後一次更新時間為: 2025 / 12 / 29 .
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