From the documentary "Kanakanavu Await" on Reconsiderations about the identity reconstruction of minority ethnic group
Shun-Ming Lee1
Abstract
From hundreds years ago Kanakanavu people lived along the banks of Nanzihsian River where is located in the Namasia District of Kaohsiung City. Since the Japanese colonial period, Kanakanavu people and neighboring Hla'alua people were collectively referred to as "Southern Cou people". Then many Bunun tribes transferred to here later, Bunun language became local common language. In recent years, some Kanakanavu people went out to work or education, and contacted with other indigenous ethnic groups such as Cou, etc. They reflected on their traditional language, life and culture, and gradually raised self "identity" awakening. August 2009 Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan and caused serious disaster in central and southern indigenous tribes. For the first time government incorporated "forced relocation" into legal articles as the axis of official reconstruction policy. Indigenous tribes involved the dispute over whether relocated or not. As the unacknowledged minority ethnic group within indigenous peoples, Kanakanavu people felt the loss of culture in this century disaster. Some clansmen moved to the lowland and contacted with other ethnic groups, by the contrast with "otherness" they strengthened "we-group" consciousness. Some clansmen remained in the former place and participated in tribal reconstruction, they were inspired by the awareness of traditional culture. Documentary "Kanakanavu Await" by the director Mayaw Biho described the process of a minority ethnic group struggling with the disaster and subsisting. The film observed that the minority ethnic group was difficult to accumulate culture capital and needed a contrast with "otherness" to establish its "self" recognition. Thus natural disasters, war and other hardships sometimes will become a catalyst to shape identity. However, first of all minority ethnic groups should have abilities of cultural inheritance and reproduction, and then they could strive to highlight their cultural differences, finally they would be confirmed by other ethnic groups and mainstream society. Kanakanavu people steadied their determination to push name rectification campaign. The documentary "Kanakanavu Await" screened all over Taiwan and became the important text for the discussion of ethnic group identity issue. After four years of sustained effort, Kanakanavu people was confirmed by government as a legally ethnic group on June 26, 2014.
Keywords: Kanakanavu people、name rectification campaign、minority ethnic group、identity、documentary
