Sakizaya people

Due to their intermingling within other peoples, the original genetic identity of the Sakizaya is uncertain. According to one study, they are intimately related to the Northern and Middle Amis. They also seem to share certain genetic traits with other indigenous groups, as well as with the Taiwanese Han, though this may have been a result of intermarriage. The C2 and C3 haplogroups are absent in their population. Early history Much of the history of the Sakizaya is unknown. It is unclear when the Sakizaya, or their ancestors, first arrived in Taiwan. According to some experts, the first human inhabitants of the island arrived 15,000 years ago and were dependent on marine life for survival. Neolithic peoples began arriving 6,000 years ago, which allowed the advent of agriculture, domestic animals, polished stone adzes, and pottery. It was during this time when a 1636 Spanish document was written about the name and activities of the people. Despite fighting that lasted over a hundred days, thousands of Sakizaya died. Among the casualties also were the chief Kumud Pazik, his wife Icep Kanasaw, and the military commander Bakah Tiway. The remaining Sakizaya were forced to blend with other peoples, such as the Ami, with the intention of protecting their identity. When the Empire of Japan ruled Taiwan in 1895, anthropologists classified the people as a subgroup of the Amis. The people, however, discreetly maintained their own culture and language which continued during the next century. Modern times In 2004, the community presented a petition for official ethnic group status to the Council of Indigenous Peoples based on historical, linguistic and cultural data. This was officially filed on 13 October 2005. Eventually, the petition was approved on 17 January 2007, recognizing them as a distinct ethnic group. Like other Taiwanese Aborigines, the Sakizaya face contemporary social and economic challenges. These include urbanization of the youth, a phenomenon that may affect their culture. ==Language==

The Sakizaya language was classified as a dialect of Nataoran Amis, a Formosan language that belongs to the Austronesian language family. However, the National Chengchi University opened the classification to debate, stating that Sakizaya remains 60–70 percent different from the Amis language despite the two groups living together. The people also speak several other languages. These include languages spoken by the peoples where they have hidden such as Amis, ==Religion==

The Sakizaya practice a variety of religions. These include traditional beliefs that mixes aspects of ancestor worship and animism. The threat is heightened by the increasing importance of Christianity to the community. as well as the anito of the Filipinos. They are considered to be "fickle as the weather" The practice of these are dictated according to the seasons: spring or pasavaan, summer or ralod, fall or sadinsing, and winter or kasinawan. According to this missionary, the conversion of the natives was effective. The conversion was so successful that native clergymen soon became a necessity. This success, however, was short-lived since Christians faced persecution after the arrival of the Chinese. It was not until late in the 20th century that this religion began to achieve its resurgence. Currently, almost 70 percent of Taiwanese Aborigines practice Christianity, though the exact number of Sakizaya practicing this religion is uncertain. The religion has become effective in maintaining social unity, which has been held by traditional practices. ==Society and culture==

Only a few aspects of the Sakizaya's society and culture have been revealed. It is known that they have a matrilinear society. Women often have the authority in the household. In terms of survival, fishing and hunting are important. but has fallen out of practice. The culture of the Sakizaya is under threat due to the small but steady urbanization of Sakizaya youth. Clothing The Sakizaya's traditional attire was initially very similar to the Amis people’s, since it was considered to be a part of the Amis tribe. Both tribes originally wore red clothing, but after the Cultural Revitalization Movement in 2007, the Sakizaya people redesigned their attire, incorporating elements from their history and legends to distinguish it from Amis clothing. They aimed to convey a new story using a variety of colors among which the most significant ones were: gold yellow for earth and homeland, light brown for identity, red for the historical battles and blue for peace and friendship with the Amis. Sakizaya clothing consists of upper garments, vests, leg coverings, betel nut bags, and headgear. Women's attire includes earthy gold vests and blood-colored inner robes, symbolizing mature women's responsibility for the land and family continuity. Unmarried girls wear mainly earthy gold without the dark red, representing childbirth. The brown and green on the skirt and leg coverings represent branches, grass, and mud from their ancestors' clothes. This serves as a reminder of the challenges they faced when escaping from enemies. Men's clothing continues the main colors of the ethnic group. The short vest-style tops highlight the strength and agility of the male warriors, The pants with a back panel skirt consisted mainly of blue, red and yellow colors and its main purpose of was just to allow easy movement. During special celebrations long golden robes are also usually worn by important community leaders. Regarding headgears, men and women headgears represent different cultural backgrounds. Men’s headwear symbolizes the heroic story of two tribesmen sacrificing their lives for the whole tribe by jumping into the flood. After the flood the triangular piece of snow-white marble rock was created on the Shabolu mountain, which is now a symbol on the men’s headwear. Women headwear on the other hand represents the hardships in the battle of 1878, by incorporating dark red for bloodshed, oval flakes for execution, long tubes for thorny bamboo, white drops for tears, and green beads for tribal defense. Age-class systems According to Japanese researchers, Sakizaya men are divided into age-class systems, known as sral, where they stay for about five years. Between infancy and 15 years of age, boys are classed into the child class or wawa. They soon participate in a ritual known as Masatrot and are trained in a youth-house or talaon, where they learn to obey orders as well as certain commands. Once they accomplished this, they would move to the preparatory youth class or kapah and stay there until they are 23 years of age, when they finally reach the superior class. ==See also==