Namasia Township is an aboriginal country and the majority of residents are Bununs and Tsous. Most of the residents are Christians, so Christmas celebrations are held in the township.
"Footprint" in the Bunun culture means "human". Our ancestors believed that the universe is formed by the Bununs, the Hanidu (wizards), and Dihanin (the gods). Bunun is one of the indigenous ethnic in Taiwan and speaks a language of the Austronesian Malay system. Our physical characteristics reveal a Malay origin and most of our ancestors lived in the high-altitude central mountain range. We are the authentic "mountain people".
In the earlier times, the Bunun led a lifestyle of farming and hunting. Millet was the staple food for our ancestors, so rituals of the farming seasons are especial importatnt to us. The Sowing Festival is a long ceremony, which includes three rituals: Mapila (Plowing Festival, Psinaban (Stone Picking Festival), and Inpinagan (Sowing Festival).The Sowing Festival preserves our ancestors' valuable agricultural technology, such as knowledge of plants and experience of the seasons, through the ceremonies and rituals. The most famous tradition left by our ancestors is the Basibutbut (praying for millet harvest song), which is sung in this festival.
Rituals, songs, hunting, and farming are the major ways of life of the Bununs; therefore, numerous ceremonies were derived to pray for peace and harvest and songs were created as a way of communication to the gods. Such songs have special religious functions. Singing of the songs is regulated by complex taboos. The solemn chorus highlights the modest characters of the ethnic and reasserted the commitment of the Bununs' vows to respect the rules and orders conveyed in the rituals. In the past, the ritual song cannot be sung casually. They are preserved and passed down from generation to generation through the grand rituals. The most famous song of our ancestors is the Pasipuput (pray for millet harvest),which is sung in this festival.
The carefree life in the mountains and the rich music heritage often give the Bunun children an unforgettable childhood. The content of the children's songs is mostly about the children's life experiences, the fun in life, and the oral narrations of the legends. With easy-to-understand questions-and-answers, and couplets, our ancestors passed down the ancient myth and language of wisdom in a fun way through children's songs. The highly educational children's songs enable the Bunun culture to be carried on and evolve in the singing of songs.