Seediq Bale rekindles interest in history and stirs new discussion on faith and identity

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

3108 Edition

September 19-25, 2011

Headline News

Seediq Bale rekindles interest in history and stirs new discussion on faith and 
identity

Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong, Sam Lee

Written by Lydia Ma

The hype surrounding the new film “Seediq Bale” started well before the release 
of the film on September 9, 2011, and it provided a great opportunity to review 
history and renew society’s interest on the rights of indigenous peoples. The 
movie raises numerous issues through many of its complex cast of characters.

Taking advantage of the present momentum, PCT Indigenous Committee held a 
symposium on September 19 on the theme of spiritual awakening and 
self-identification of indigenous groups. The symposium also studied the 
present challenges facing indigenous groups as well as their future goals. Rev. 
Oseng from East Amis Presbytery said during his speech that he was very pleased 
with the movie and liked how it showed indigenous groups defying unreasonable 
government authorities to preserve their human dignity. 

The symposium consisted of 3 main sections, namely, “Seediq Bale: From a 
historical and humanistic point of view”, “Spiritual awakening and 
self-identification of indigenous groups”, and “Seediq Bale: How the Japanese 
resistance then applies to Indigenous groups’ modern struggles and future 
visions.”

At the end of this forum, PCT Indigenous Committee Secretary Omi Wilang said he 
hoped this would mark the beginning of a new phase where indigenous groups work 
with one another and collaborate with one another, instead of being fragmented 
and each doing their own thing. The meeting was then adjourned with a closing 
prayer.

In related news, PCT Sediq (also spelled Seediq or Seejig) district members 
were invited to visit Wushe Street in Linkou on September 13 where the filming 
of Seediq Bale took place. Sediq district director Peto Ukan said that a tour 
of this street, now renown because of the movie, helped many of his people born 
after the Wushe Incident to revisit their tribe’s history and identity. For 
those who experienced this tragedy, the visit brought back many memories.

About 200 Sediqs were invited to visit Wushe Street by New Taipei municipal 
government just before the area, which was restricted because of filming, 
became open to the public. Seediq Bale director Wei Te-sheng is said to have 
done an extensive research about the street and spent close to NT$80 million to 
make the street resemble what it looked like in the 1930s.

Rev. Watan Diro, who was appointed cultural consultant of the movie, said that 
both adults and children who saw this film were inspired. For the older 
generation, whose parents or relatives were affected by the Wushe Incident, the 
movie brought tears. For the younger generation, it was an opportunity to get 
to know their tribe’s history better.

Watan Diro said the 3 sub-groups that make up the Sediq tribe used to be bitter 
rivals who harbored resentment against one another. Today, the gospel has 
changed their relationship and banished all hate. But the movie is nevertheless 
a sobering reminder of how rulers ruthlessly assimilate indigenous groups. In 
his opinion, the KMT and the Japanese are not much different in this aspect.

Sediq people are a minority group in modern day Wushe, Watan Diro said. But he 
is thankful that God has given these people new hope through the gospel and 
that they are now God’s children.   

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