Aborigines use sun-shooting ritual to protest against the government

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3071 Edition

January 3-9, 2011

Headline News

Aborigines use sun-shooting ritual to protest against the government

Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

Written by Lydia Ma

As the Ma administration continues its promotion of the 100th 
anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC) which is 
expected to continue throughout 2011, about 40 Atayal Aborigines 
convened on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei on January 1, 2011, with 
bow and arrow in hand. 

They were poised and ready to shoot at the blue-and-red national flag 
(with its white sun emblem) flying high above them to show their 
displeasure and dissatisfaction at how the government has 
continuously ignored the suffering and plight of aborigines 
throughout the history of ROC. They were protesting against an ROC 
government too busy celebrating to notice the injustices inflicted 
upon Aborigines time and time again.

Lest shooting at an ROC flag sounds strange, there is an ancient myth 
among Atayal Aborigines that inspired such action. According to 
Atayal folklore, there used to be two suns in the sky at one time, 
creating havoc across the land and destroying Aborigines’ lands and 
homes and livelihoods – even endangering their very lives.

One day, many Aborigines got together and decided to pursue one of 
the two suns. They ventured outside their reservations and pursued 
this sun in hopes of shooting it down. After a while of pursuit, 
everyone lifted their bows and arrows and shot at the sun together 
and destroyed this sun, which was an evil spirit.

Similarly, Atayal Aborigines gathered in front of the Presidential 
Palace on the first day of 2010 wearing their traditional costumes. 
The eldest members of the group handed out bows and arrows to the 
younger ones in the group one by one. Then, these young archers aimed 
the tip of their arrow at the white sun at the center of the ROC 
flag, ready to shoot.

For Aborigines taking part in this event, the white sun on the flag 
was synonymous to that old, wicked sun. As their arrows flew out one 
by one, they were symbolically declaring the destruction of an evil 
ROC. 

After this shooting protest, the elders handed the bows and arrows to 
the younger generation, symbolizing the task of protecting their 
homes was now up to the next generation.

Besides this shooting ceremony, Aborigines also posted a list of 100 
crimes the ROC had committed over the years.

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