부산대학교 도서관

Paiwan Indigenous communities of Southern Taiwan have historically used bird feathers to decorate their headdresses. Among many species, the feathers of the Mountain Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis), qadisor adisin the Paiwan language, play an especially crucial role. In this paper, we aim to understand the relationship between the Paiwan and the qadisas well as the evolution of knowledge, practices, and beliefs regarding qadisfeathers over time. We engaged Paiwan feather culture through analysis of legends, vocabularies, stories, accounts of feather utilization, and changes in modern society. Interviewees provided the names of various feathers, their link to social identities, and the way of wearing them. We visited 44 villages and interviewed 123 Paiwan elders and tribal chiefs to collect the local names of the feathers and of the different anatomical parts of qadis. We also recorded the taboos, limitations, rituals, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) associated with qadishunting. Traditionally, the qadisis deemed a sacred bird and its feathers on a headdress symbolize the special status of a tribal chief, noble person, or hero. We apply our findings to help scientists understand feather culture and to find better conservation strategies that are responsive to local culture.