原住民古道舊社與活的文化保存

The Cultural and Tribal Significance of Re-visiting the Ancient-mountain-paths

台灣山區在殖民統治時期的隘勇線推進，全面導致原住民族傳統領域流失；今日山區仍遺留諸多古道、舊社，應積極調查以作為全民的歷史文化資產。本文作者在山區調查期間更發現：若無原住民獵人持續使用，古道、舊社必荒煙蔓草；調查資料與數位典藏是死的，狩獵文化才是原住民古道、舊社「活的」文化保存。

During the Japanese occupation period the Japanese colonizer established their defile line to divide-and-encircle the Mountain-dwelling aborigines. It is just such a policy and administrative device which was responsible for the land lost by the encircled aborgines tribes. In investicating the relics of those defile line, the author had ran into many abandoned ancient-mountainpaths, abandoned tribal settlement ruins and historically significant sites and artifacts. However it is also founded at these so-called “ruins” were still recognized and utilized by quite a few tribal elders and hunters. The activities of re-visiting the ancient-mountain-paths are in effect a way to live up their hunting practices and a way to conserve their “Living” culture.