WEAVING AS AN IDENTITY MARKER: ATAYAL WOMEN IN WULAI, TAIWAN
WEAVING AS AN IDENTITY MARKER: ATAYAL WOMEN IN WULAI, TAIWAN

Summary/Abstract: Subscribing to the argument that identities are complex and fluid, this paper examines the identities of female indigenous weavers in Wulai, Taiwan. Weaving, an important gender marker, was banned by the Japanese colonial power and later reintroduced, albeit with new meanings, as the revival of indigenous cultures was encouraged. Based on ethnographic evidence presented through individual narratives and identity diagrams, it is shown that weaving is a key component of Atayal women’s multiple identities. However, the links between the culture of a group and the identity of individuals are complex and may take on new meanings, thereby contributing to cultural change.

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