Page 32 - Hualien Sustainable Living Bilingual Magazine

Hunting tools in hand, the three groups venture into the wilderness for the hunt of their coming-to-age ceremony, but what occurs next is unexpected: When the mountain group is preparing to hunt, they notice that the right leg of their quarry is injured. They gather medicinal herbs that the tribe’s elders had taught them to recognize and apply them to the wound, putting down their spears in the end. The sky group is about to draw their bows and shoot arrows at a group of birds flying past, but find that a lone bird has fallen and is stuck on the top of a tree. The pair rescue the bird and return it to its mother and companions. The youths that swim into the ocean do not return with abundant seafood, instead saving a marine animal that had gotten tangled. The three groups return to the village, frustrated that they have nothing to show for their work. But the Mother River calls out to them, and they hear the elders’voices in the wind, saying,“Compassion and love for nature is what we want to see in our warriors.”This is a riveting part of the performance. Billy Chang had read up on indigenous culture and decided to set aside all the traditions and reinterpret the spirit of the tribes. The choreography is meant to convey a message for all the brave warriors taking part in the competitions:“You might not win an award, but this is a journey of finding your identity, for it is the things you thought intangible that you truly own. You have proven that you are of age, and that you are ready to tackle the challenges ahead.” 27