Ta ta ta , ta makat kita! Let’s Go Walking Hand in Hand

During the early days, we Amis people used to sit down in circles, listen to the elders’ storytelling and humming of songs, and learn the culture of our ancestors.

Today, we follow the footsteps of the elders, learning the traditional ways of net fishing and weaving, and also our own history and culture, re-inheriting the Amis tribal songs and dances.

Through teaching and learning, children and teachers walk hand in hand down the road of mainstream education, sharing each’s life stories and draw them on papers.

Never to forget, looking back and walking the path of our elders.

And we shall continue the journey ahead hand in hand.

Hualien Chun-Rih Elementary School is located by the County Highway No.193, a typical rural elementary school with 39 students in total.

During weekends and public holidays, the East River Bank Weekend Arts School takes place here, housing students from the eastern bank of Xiuguluan River for free courses on drawing, guitaring, jazz drumming, farming experience, bicycle repairing, abacus training, etc. Despite being the largest local arts school, it is supported financially solely by the Director Ming-Hsien Hsieh himself, and funded by his longtime friends with each a 300-dollar every month. As learning opportunities presented during young age might lead to turning points later in life, it is the sincere wishes of these supporters to help fuel the youngsters’ dreams.

In succession of the 2015 Video Art Campus Outreach Program, this exhibition incorporates the Indigenous Education of Chun-Rih Elementary School and the East River Bank Weekend Arts School. The former was led by school principal Mr. Sun Bing-Peng, organized by teacher Wu Jing-Yun, as tribal seniors and young people were all brought together participating in this program. During the course, children were led up into the mountains to experience hunting and collecting wild edible greens, and into the river fishing as well, while traditional culture such as weaving and tribal songs and dances were also learned closely.

Meanwhile, the children also spent their time in Weekend Arts School with the accompaniment of teacher Zhang Ya-Jin to draw and keep record of their local indigenous life experiences. These invaluable materials were gathered continuously to form a database, in hope to assemble and compose animated picture books in the future, looking through the eyes of these local children and the stories of their very own.

2. An interdisciplinarity video art collaboration between Hong-gah and the cutting edge digital art team Luxury Logico, choreographers, and dancers.