SEEDIQ – 賽德克族

Location of the Island of Taiwan in East Asia.
( ontheworldmap.com )

Island of Taiwan & Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Islands.
Also shown are:
Green Island (Lu Dao) & Orchid Island (Lan Yu).
( cia.gov )

Administrative Divisions of Taiwan
( nouahsark.com )

Traditional geographical distribution of Highland Peoples.
Alternate spellings or names:
Taroko ( Truku, Seediq ); Yami ( Tao )
( wikipedia . org )

Satellite image of Taiwan showing the central mountains. Compare this image with the map (above) to appreciate the geographic distribution of the Highland Peoples.
( geology . com )

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for Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples

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THE SEEDIQ PEOPLE – 賽德克族

  • The Seediq people are one of Taiwan’s officially-recognized Indigenous Peoples, best known internationally through the story told in the movie “Seediq Bale” (“Warriors of the Rainbow”) and the Wushe Incident of 1930. The Seediq People were recognized by the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan as a Distinct Indigenous Group in 2008. The current population estimate for the Seediq People is approximately 10,000–12,000 people. The Seediq People live primarily in Central Taiwan, especially in the mountainous areas of Nantou County (Ren’ai Township) and parts of Hualien County. The Seediq People Group is part of the Austronesian peoples of Taiwan.

  • Before 2008, the Seediq were officially classified as part of the Atayal People Group, but linguistic, cultural & historical research supported their recognition as a separate people.

  • The Seediq People speak their own language. The Seediq language (Seejiq) belongs to the Atayalic branch of the Austronesian language family. Major dialects of the Seediq Language are: (i) Truku; (ii) Toda; and Tgdaya. Efforts to revitalize the Seediq Lanauget are ongoing, and include school programs & media broadcasts.

  • At the heart of Seediq culture is Gaya Law, which is a sacred system of moral law governing: (i) Social behavior; (ii) Hunting rules; (iii) Marriage; and (iv) Relations with the spirit world. In Seediq culture, “Breaking Gaya” is believed to bring misfortune not just to individuals, but to the entire community.

  • The Seediq People practice Facial Tattooing. Traditional Seediq facial tattoos mark Men for successful headhunting & bravery, and women for their skill in weaving & for their moral maturity. Seediq facial tattoos symbolize readiness to join ancestors in the afterlife. The practice of facial tattoos went into decline during Japanese rule & later modernization.

  • The economy & traditional daily life of the Seediq People centers around: (i) Slash-and-burn agriculture for millet & taro production; (ii) Hunting, guided by ritual & Gaya Law; (iii) Weaving, especially by women; and (iv) Strong clan & village organization.

  • The Wushe Incident (1930) is one of the most pivotal events in Taiwanese Indigenous history. It was a rebellion against Japanese colonial authorities led by Mona Rudao, a Seediq chief. The Wushe Incident was sparked by long-term oppression, forced labor, & cultural suppression during the Period of the Japanese Occupation of the Island of Taiwan. The rebellion resulted in brutal retaliation by Japanese forces, including the use of aerial bombing &chemical weapons. Although the Indigenous Peoples were defeated militarily, the uprising became a powerful symbol of Indigenous resistance & dignity in Taiwan.

  • Traditional beliefs in Seediq culture include: (i) Animism; (ii) Ancestor worship; and (iii) strong belief in spirits which inhabit the natural world. At the present time, many Seediq are also practitioners of Christian religions, primarily Presbyterian or Catholic.

  • Contemporary life in Seediq communitiescurrently involves: (i) Cultural revival programs; (ii) Language preservation; (iii) Indigenous tourism; and (iv) Political advocacy for land & cultural rights. The Seediq have become an important symbol in Taiwan’s broader movement to recognize & honor Indigenous history.

  • There are significant aspects to the cultural legacy of the Seediq People: (i.) The motion picture “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” (2011) brought global attention to Seediq history; (ii.) Cultural festivals celebrate weaving, music, dance & ancestral rituals; and (iii.) Museums & education help to ensure there is increasing inclusion of Seediq culture in Taiwan’s national historical narrative.

  • wikipedia.org – Seediq Language @ Wikipedia . org
  • wikipedia.org – Seediq People – 賽德克族 @ Wikipedia . org
  • wikipedia.org – Taiwan indigenous peoples – 臺灣原住民 @ Wikipedia . org

  • cip.gov.tw – The Seediq People @ Council of Indigenous Peoples website
  • tacp.gov.tw – Seediq @ Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center website
  • nenggao-seediq.com – Tour four Seediq villages of primitive charm @ Nenggao Saideke Mountain Village Tour website

  • hl.gov.tw – Introduction to the Seediq Tribe @ Indigenous Peoples Department of Hualien County, Taiwan website
  • globalvoices.org – A brief history of Taiwan’s indigenous Seediq tribe @ Global Voices website
  • asiatimes.com – Remarkable history of Taiwan’s Seediq people @ Asia Times website

  • thenewslens.com – Seediq, an Endangered Aboriginal Tribe and Language in Taiwan @ The News Lens website
  • lifeoftaiwan.com – The Indigenous People @ Life of Taiwan website
  • satoyamainitiative.org – Sustainable development of Taiwanese indigenous tribes in accordance with Seediq tradition of Gaya @ Satoyama Initiative website

  • taiwaneverything.cc – Meeting the Seediq @ Taiwan Everything blog
  • iwgia.org – The Indigenous World 2025: Taiwan @ International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs website
  • taiwanobsessed.com – Taiwan Aboriginal Culture @ Nick Kembel’s “Taiwan Obsessed” website (Terrific site !!!)

  • goteamjosh.com – Taiwan History @ Josh Ellis Photography blog (Another terrific site !!)
  • columbia.edu – The Musha Incident @ Columbia University Press
  • taiwan-panorama.com – The Ancestors’ Tales: Dakis Pawan Tells the Truth about Wushe @ Taiwan Panorama e-zine

  • languagehat.com – Seeqiq Language @ Language Hat website
  • omniglot.com – Seediq Alphabet & Pronunciation @ Omniglot on-line encylopedia of writing systems & languages
  • joshuaproject.net – Seediq in Taiwan @ The Joshua Project website

  • openmuseum.tw – We are Seediq @ National Museums of World Culture (Sweden)
  • cambridge.org – “Ethnic Conflicts in Hillside Borderlands. A study on headhunting in eighteenth – and nineteenth-century Taiwan” @ Cambridge University Press
  • dominotheory.com – Seediq Descendents Unfazed by China Weaponizing Their Story @ Domino Theory website

“Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale”. ( chaari.com )

  • wikipedia.org – The motion picture “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” @ Wikipedia . org
  • hollywoodreporter.com – “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” : Venice Film Review @ Hollywood Reporter website
  • asianetworkexchange.org – Re-Examining Extreme Violence: Historical Reconstruction and Ethnic Consciousness in Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale @ Asia Network Exchange website

  • taiwaninsight.org – Exploring the Gendered Cultural Politics of Seediq Bale @ Taiwan Insight (University of Nottingham Taiwan Research Hub, U.K.)
  • taiwaninsight.org – History & Taiwanese Identity in Wei De-Sheng’s “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” @ Taiwan Insight (University of Nottingham Taiwan Research Hub, U.K.)
  • louisville.edu – Taiwanese indigenous representation, rhetoric of resistance & and heteroglossia in warriors of the rainbow: SEEDIQ Bale @ University of Louisville (USA)

  • EASY SEARCH FOR MORE LINKS ! . . . . .

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LATEST PAGE UPDATE: December 30 , 2025 .
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