Fieldnote_Apr 19 2023_Naluwan_Sherily

This week's communication was very diverse. Originally, we were supposed to scan photos, but our group of grandmas forgot to bring them, so we spent the entire conversation. Therefore, we also took this opportunity to further understand the grandmas' views on living on both sides of Taitung and Xiangshan.

Because there are not many opportunities for grandmas to return to Taitung now, and they may only go back three or four times a year. The main place they live in now is the Naluwan tribe. From their accounts, it can be understood that the Meishan tribe in Taitung still occupies a very important position in the hearts of the mothers, and it is the place where they grew up. There, they feel more free and can do anything. However, most of the time, only the elderly people live in the tribe, young people have come out to work hard, but during festivals, everyone still goes back to celebrate together.

For the Naluwan tribe in Xiangshan, although they were not used to it when they first moved in, after living here for more than forty years, it has become another home. Life here is very different from that in Taitung, where many things need to buy, which is a great difference from self-sufficiency when living in Taitung. However, as the child is born, they gradually adapt to the environment and climate here. There are more young people in the tribe than the Meishan tribe in Taitung, and the tribe is also consciously carrying out cultural inheritance, and the Naluwan tribe is also developing better and better.

Although I still don't find many topics to talk to grandmas, this time I rarely heard a love story about grandma Ye, and she also brought two photos to scan for us. We also made an agreement with the other two grandmas to remember to bring photos next time, and they also agreed. I will look forward to next week!