The Chiayi Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA Chiayi) held a book launch for Forestry and
Cou at the Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries Park today (02/26). Director General Lin Hwa-Ching of the FANCA, Deputy Director Lee Ting-Chung of the FANCA Chiayi, and Tsou Elder Avayi Yadauyungana jointly turned the Alishan forestry history and Tsou tribal timeline wheel, while creative Tsou cuisine inspired by traditional knowledge and wisdom of the Tsou was served to open a new chapter in forest management.
FANCA Director General Lin Hwa-Ching noted that the traditional wisdom and culture of the indigenous people are not only the result of knowledge accumulated through their long-term coexistence with nature, but also an important key to the sustainability of natural resources. Indigenous peoples and mountain villagers who depend on the mountains and forests for their livelihoods are at the core of natural resource management. This is a trend that can be found worldwide in forest conservation. In recent years, the FANCA has integrated forest management policies with traditional indigenous culture. It not only records and learns from indigenous traditional wisdom and forest culture, but also incorporates contemporary scientific management as the basis for decision-making in forest conservation and forestry management.
Lee Ting-Chung, Deputy Director of the FANCA Chiayi, said that since 2021, the FANCA Chiayi has been researching and compiling data on the indigenous people connected to the Alishan forestry history. Through field surveys and interviews, valuable Tsou wisdom covering nearly half a century has been collected from more than 50 interviewees. Forestry and Cou not only explains the transformation process of forestry policies and the Tsou people that developed into a close partnership, but also guides the readers to take an in-depth look at the centuries-old history of the Alishan forestry industry and the Tsou people.
The book launch kicked off with a Tsou blessing ceremony, followed by a performance by Tsou singer Yinguyu Yatayungana of the ever-popular songs “Song of Tashan” and “Mountain Train.” Tsou Elder Avayi Yadauyungana talked about Alishan forestry and the Tsou based on the Tsou people’s perspectives and history, which offered an alternative angle from which to examine the past and the present. Creative cuisine dishes were also offered, where the designs of the dishes were inspired by the Tsou’s sacred flower - fiteu, the Tsou language, and plants mentioned in the book. These included the wooden tower representing the under-forest economy, the plant biscuits printed with the Tsou language, and the cake shaped like the fiteu. Culinary language was used to highlight the close relationship between the Alishan forestry and the Tsou people.
Forestry and
Cou presents the essence of the history of Alishan forestry and the Tsou people, where it demonstrates the interactive perception and multiple historical perspectives between the century-old Alishan forestry history and the Tsou people. The FANCA invites the public to follow the footsteps of the Tsou and personally experience their history and wisdom of the mountains and forests. The book can be purchased at the Government Books Store (online store), Wu Nan Books, Fribooker Bookstore, and Courage Bookshop.
Where to buy Forestry and
Cou
Government Books Store (online store)
Government Books Store (brick-and-mortar store): 1F, No. 209, Songjiang Road, Taipei City
Wu Nan Books (online store)
Fribooker Bookstore
Courage Bookshop: 2F, Building K, No. 616, Zhongshan Road, West District, Chiayi City