Hualien – Taiwan Insight

Embarking on the Kuroshio Odyssey: A Journey from Taiwan’s East Coast to the U.S. West Coast

8 December 2023 Yu-Chen

Written by Sra Kacaw (Bo-Jun Chen). While planning the Kuroshio Odyssey exhibition, I had a discussion with Margaret Yun-Pu and Jiun-Yu Liu. Margaret invited Indigenous communities in Taiwan to collaborate, prompting me to search for colleagues who might accompany me. I started by pinpointing the topics we aimed to share through the exhibition. As the Kuroshio Current flows through Eastern Taiwan, what are the ethnic groups living in that area? How can we introduce the marine and material culture to the people in Seattle?

Crossing Paths: A Cultural Odyssey from Taiwan to Seattle

6 December 2023 Yu-Chen

Written by Sayang Anang. In November 2023, I had the honour of being invited as a member of the Taiwanese Indigenous delegation to the Kuroshio Odyssey exhibition hosted by the Burke Museum at the University of Washington, Seattle. Before embarking on this journey, I hadn’t given much thought but to grasp the rare opportunity to share the traditional cultural practices of my tribe—the Lidaw tribe of the Amis in Hualien, Taiwan—with my foreign friends. Excitement filled me as this was my first time setting foot on American soil, and I relished every exchange I made. The thrill stemmed from meeting new people, exploring the UW campus’s rich history, or appreciating the proximity of Burke Museum’s collections. With each encounter, we absorbed different nutrients, stimulated more reflection and feedback, and made this trip a fruitful one.