Recreating Home: Restoration and Reflections on the Traditional Houses of Kucapungane

Authors: Sasala Taiban

Abstract:

This paper explores the process and reflections on the restoration of traditional slate houses in the Rukai tribe's old settlement of Kucapungane. Designated as a "Class II Historical Site" by the Ministry of the Interior in 1991 and listed by UNESCO's World Monuments Fund in 2016, Kucapungane holds significant historical and cultural value. However, due to government neglect, tribal migration, and the passing of elders, the traditional knowledge and techniques for constructing slate houses face severe discontinuity. Over the past decades, residents have strived to preserve and transmit these traditional skills through the restoration and reconstruction of their homes. This study employs a qualitative methodology, combining ethnographic fieldwork, historical analysis, and participatory observation. The research includes in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and hands-on participation in restoration activities to gather comprehensive data. The paper reviews the historical evolution of Kucapungane, the restoration process, and the challenges encountered, such as insufficient resources, technical preservation issues, material acquisition problems, and lack of community recognition. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of house restoration in indigenous consciousness and cultural revival, proposing strategies to address current issues and promote preservation. Through these efforts, the cultural heritage of the Rukai tribe can be sustained and carried forward into the future.

Keywords: Rukai, Kucapungane, slate house restoration, cultural heritage.

References:

[1] Guo Pei-yi. 2003. "Island Builders: Landscape and Historicity among the Langalanga Solomon Islands." In Landscape Memory and History: Anthropological Perspectives, edited by Pamela J. Stewart & Andrew Strathern, pp. 189-209. London: Pluto Press.
[2] Sasala Taiban. 2008. "Disintegration and Reconstruction of Traditional Territories: Re-examining the Map and Spatial Changes of the Kucapungane People." Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology, No. 69, pp. 9-44.
[3] Hsu Sheng-fa, Kuo Mei-fang, and Hsu Ming-fu. 2013. "Regional Characteristics of Slate House Architecture of the Rukai and Paiwan Tribes during the Japanese Colonial Period." Journal of Architecture, No. 85, pp. 125-144.
[4] Inō Kanori, trans. Wen Ji. 1999. "Taiwan Fan Zheng Zhi." Nantou: Taiwan Provincial Documents Committee.
[5] Torii Ryūzō, trans. Yang Nan-jun. 1996. "Exploring Taiwan: Torii Ryūzō's Anthropological Journey in Taiwan." Taipei: Yuan-Liou Publishing.
[6] Mori Chonosuke (Translated by Yang Nanjun). 2000. "The Expedition of Raw Barbarians - Mori Chonosuke's Adventure in Taiwan." Taipei: Yuan-Liou Publishing Co.
[7] Ikeya Kozō, Miyamoto Nobuto, and Mabuchi Toichi. 1935. "Study on the Classification of the Takasago Tribes in Taiwan." Taipei: Department of Anthropology, Imperial University of Taipei.
[8] James Clifford. 2017. "Returns: Becoming Indigenous in the Twenty-First Century." Translated by Lin Hsu-da and Liang Yong-an. Sanwan Township, Miaoli County: Laureate.