"The Woman Carrying the Prey"Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion

Event Date: December 10, 2023 (Sunday) 13:00-17:30 Event Venue: 2nd Floor, "Backstage Cafe" at the National Taiwan University Sports Center

"Huntress Chronicles" Hunting culture takes on diverse forms across different ethnic groups and life contexts. Traditionally perceived as a male-dominated activity, hunting even carried taboos such as "women shall not touch hunting tools." However, among the Taroko people, women actively contribute during the hunting season, assisting in transporting goods, cooking, and sharing food with friends and family. In contrast to the male-centric "collective" maduk (group hunting activities) deep in the mountains, women sometimes engage in individual hunting closer to their homes or farmlands.

This highlights that hunting is a collective activity with gender roles, where both women and men have a close connection to hunting culture. While rarely documented or discussed in the past, within a few families, there are women hunters carrying bamboo baskets, setting traps, and engaging in a dialogue with the mountains. They possess the skills and characteristics of hunters, tracking animals, clearing paths, and placing traps. Over the years, they have developed a mutual dependence with animals in the mountains, finding a sense of belonging in their own hunting territories.

Indigenous hunting culture is an area not well-understood by many. Although the law recognizes Indigenous hunting as a constitutionally protected cultural right, the true meaning of hunting culture is often misunderstood. Today, due to increased attention to gender issues, female hunters are being discussed in Indigenous hunting narratives: "Can women really not go into the mountains for hunting?" This issue prompts us to consider the role that gender played in past cultural perspectives and how we should discuss and interpret it in the context of cultural evolution.

Director Rngrang Hungul (余欣蘭), featuring his mother Heydi Mijung (周梅英), has captured the essence of this topic in the documentary "Huntress Chronicles." Through the director's lens, we follow Heydi as she moves through the mountains, tracing the footsteps of prey and exploring the multifaceted relationships between Indigenous people and plants, animals, the mountain environment, and spirits.

Don't miss out on such a rich event! Quickly click on the registration link to sign up!