Fieldnote_0221_Naluwan_ANNABELLE

COMMUNITY WALKING

Today, I went to Naluwan to take a look at the living conditions of the Amis. I went there not knowing what to expect. Was I to expect muddy grounds, with run-down houses? Or should I expect there to be skyscrapers and cemented or tiled floors?

When I arrived at Naluwan, I felt confused. On one side stood a small playground for children, and a community center that was built up so nicely. It looked so aesthetic, although barren. When we stepped into the concrete buildings, it was pleasant to the eye, but why did it feel so cold and unwelcoming? Turns out, the Amis aren't allowed to keep their artworks in the buildings, and hence they had to make temporary artworks instead. 

After that, we walked around the area. Their houses seem to be rather undeveloped compared to the rest of Hsinchu. Their roofs consisted of zinc/metal rooftops, different coloured metals placed on top of one another. What if there was a big wind? It just looks like everything would crumble and be blown away. Some Amis people probably discarded some items behind their house – metal scraps and random items lying around in the backyards. It looked so messy and chaotic. Strange, I thought. Why wouldn't the government allow them to build more permanent houses? Especially since they've contributed the economy so greatly in the past.

On a ledge facing the front of every house along the narrow road, there were a few pieces of artwork made by the locals. A statue of a person holding a fish in their arms, pointing in a certain direction was one of them. Another artwork was of an ostrich(?) I suppose. Interesting how they decide to space these artworks a few metres away from each other, facing their own houses.

We continued walking down and looking over the Naluwan area is a highway. Was the highway there before the Amis people? Or vice versa. If the highway was there before the Amis people, why were they located there? And if it's the other way round, why would the government put the Amis people's health at risk? 

A few questions I have in mind: The buildings made by the government are strangely developed, and yet the living conditions of the Amis? Not so much. If their lifestyles and conditions can be further improved, why hasn't it happened yet? And are the Amis people truly OK with their lifestyles and living conditions?