Takiyu lost his parents early and was raised by his grandmother, Rabay Sudu. Since childhood, he farmed with his grandmother in the fields until he grew up.
He recalls the crops they planted in the past: Bunga sweet potatoes, trabus peanuts, masu millet, sari taro, brisan sorghum, and pgu red quinoa. “Ungat pila.” (Not much money) he said bluntly. Farming was tough back then. Aside from the crops they ate, peanuts were sold to merchants in Linrong. He called those bosses in Japanese: Xu-san, Lin-san…
During the harvest season, merchants would come to purchase the crops. When asked about the prices back then, he said, “I’m not sure if it was even 5 dollars per catty.” In short, the prices were low. He and his uncle originally farmed in Zhiya Gan Group 5 (11th and 12th neighborhoods), but later moved to the current location in the 4th neighborhood. He pointed to the opposite mountain, saying his grandmother’s shelter used to be there, but it’s gone now, as are most other shelters.
We asked him what biyi and sapah were. He explained that biyi is a house built in the fields, mainly used for shelter from rain, cooking, resting, sleeping, and storing tools. Especially in the cold mountains during winter, people would warm themselves by the fire inside the shelter. Sapah means home, where children sleep. Kika pusu bi sapah (this is the true meaning of a house). Takiyu clearly distinguished between biyi and sapah: biyi is a workplace, while sapah is a family residence.
He further explained that biyi used to be built with wood from any straight tree in the abundant forests. The roof was made of djima bamboo and covered with bhngil cogon grass. Life was hard in the past, and they had no money to buy bnbang iron sheets, so all building materials were sourced from the natural environment.
Once a biyi was built, they would perform a powda ceremony with a chicken, either a hen or a rooster. Everyone would gather to eat and drink. He said people used to drink a little at a time, unlike now where they drink by the box. In the past, a single cup of wine could last a long time, but now people drink box after box.
When opening a new piece of land, people would go to tmatak to clear the grass. The cleared area would belong to that person without setting any ayus boundaries; a verbal agreement was enough. The qdrux stone walls we often see now were usually not land boundaries but were built to clear the fields of stones, creating more soil. They would plant bunga sweet potatoes on top of the qdrux, letting the vines grow along the walls for better growth.
Biyi were built on slightly flat terrain, never on steep slopes. Proximity to a water source was ideal, but if far from water, they would use buckets to fetch water or place barrels under the eaves to collect rainwater for cooking, using a rqda (three-stone stove).
Water was channeled using bamboo. First, Y-shaped branches called sida were driven into the ground with a hammer to make them stable. Bamboos were then halved, and the nodes (bungu) removed. The bamboo sections were placed on the branches in a line, forming a yudun (pipeline) that directed water into the fields. If the wood used was sraw (Cinnamomum osmophloeum), it could easily tmangaw (sprout) and continue growing.
Talking about farming brought many memories for Takiyu. He mentioned that sari taro has many varieties, such as sari biyuhug (edible taro), sari qapal (yellow taro), and sari qluqun (white taro), typically cooked with miso. This revealed the variety of taros, but he lamented, “But the Truku are lazy now and no longer plant them!” Many varieties of taro and shelters are now rare in the tribe.
Takiyu farmed until his 30s or 40s, then started working on tunnel excavation projects, digging tunnels all over: Mt. Qilai, Fulong, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Miaoli, and Keelung. He worked in this field for about 20 years, retiring at around 60 in Wujie, Nantou. He said farming didn’t earn much, so many in the tribe sought external work. Many houses in Zhiya Gan were built with the money earned from tunnel work.
Apart from farming and labor, hunting was also a skilled task among the tribe’s men. Takiyu began hunting with elders in his youth. He named the places and pointed out homes of past residents, saying, “They have all passed away now.”
He recalled that in the 1950s, hunting Tnguraw deer antlers was popular. They followed the Zhiya Gan Creek or Xilin Forest Road westward, all the way to Nantou County, chasing rqnux deer. They sold the meat at the 18th Linban at the Hualien and Nantou border, where loggers would buy it. Tnguraw was sold at Sanguang in Shui-Li Township.
Sanguang was near Shui-Li, where plain merchants would come by taxi to buy the antlers, sometimes even snatching them. Prices for Tnguraw depended on quality, size, and length, ranging from 20,000 to 70,000 dollars. If the harvest was good, they took a taxi back to the tribe, dogs included; otherwise, they walked back.
Hunting Tnguraw took place from March to May. By May, the antlers hardened and became buut bones, no longer sellable. During this time, they specifically hunted antlers.
Hunting deer involved a unique method: a group would chase the deer with dogs to a designated spot where another group lay in wait to shoot, called grung. He recalled a time when a deer chased by dogs jumped into the river but, exhausted, he couldn’t shoot it. After days of hunting and eating only porridge in the mornings and evenings, and nothing at noon, he was too tired. Unexpectedly, the deer ran back into the forest and was chased back by the dogs…
Farming, hunting, and external work were all part of Takiyu’s life. When asked about place names in the mountains opposite his home, he quickly listed: “Ayug Pawan, Ayug Piran, Ayug Yudaw Aqi, Ayug Ukaw Yakaw, Ayug Karaw Banah.” Every forest and field had a name, often named after the landowner if water sources or streams were within their land.
“These people have all passed away!” Takiyu said.
As elders pass away, if no young people continue to venture into the mountains, place names gradually fade, and much of life’s history becomes hidden in the mountains, slowly consumed by wild grass.
After the interview, Takiyu went up the mountain with his daughter, Sayun. Takiyu is known as the “vine weaving master” in the tribe. Sayun often accompanies him to collect rattan and bamboo, learning about the forests. This is the best way to pass on culture and practice life.
