The Amis are an Austronesianethnic group native to Taiwan. They speak Amis, an Austronesian language, and are one of the sixteen officially recognized groups of Taiwanese aborigines. The traditional territory of the Amis includes the long, narrow valley between the Central Mountains and the Coastal Mountains, the Pacific coastal plain eastern to the Coastal Mountains and the Hengchun Peninsula. In 2014, the Amis numbered 200,604. This was approximately 37.1% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the largest indigenous group. The Amis are primarily fishermen due to their coastal location. They traditionally have a matrilineal kinship system, by which inheritance and property pass through the maternal line, and children are considered born to the mother's people. Traditional Amis villages were relatively large for indigenous communities, typically holding between 500 and 1,000 people. In today's Taiwan, the Amis also comprise the majority of "urban aboriginals" and have developed many urban communities all around the island. In recent decades, Amis have also married exogamously to the Han as well as other indigenous peoples.
Identity and classification
The Amis people generally identify as Pangcah, which means "human" or "people of our kind." But in 21st-century Taiwan, the term Amis is much more frequently used. This name comes from the wordamis, meaning "north." There is still no consensus in the academic circle as to how "Amis" came to be used to address the Pangcah. It may originally have been a term used by the Puyuma to refer to the Pangcah, who lived to the north of them. Another theory is that those who lived in the Taitung Plain called themselves "Amis" because their ancestors had come from the north. This later explanation is recorded in the Banzoku Chōsa Hōkokusho, indicating this term may have originated from a group classified by anthropologists as Falangaw Amis, the Amis group occupying territory from today's Chengkung to the Taitung Plain. Their closest genetic relatives appear to be the Filipino people. According to Taiwanese Aboriginal History: Amis, the Amis are classified into five groups:
Such classification, however widely accepted, is based simply on the geographical distribution and ethnic migration. It does not correspond to observed differences in culture, language, and physiques.
Traditions
Family affairs, including finance of the family, are decided by the female householder, in the Amis tradition. The most important traditional ceremony is the Harvest Festival. The Amis Harvest festival is held to express the people's thanks and appreciation to the gods, and to pray for harvest in the next coming year. It takes place every July to September.
Representation in media
The musical project Enigma used an Amis chant in their song "Return to Innocence," on their second album, The Cross of Changes. This song was used as the theme song of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The main chorus was sung by Difang and his wife, Igay, who were part of a Taiwanese aboriginal cultural performance group. Maison des Cultures du Monde had earlier recorded the singing of this group while on tour, and released a CD. This song was subsequently used by Enigma. The recording studio and the Taiwanese group filed a suit for copyright infringement, which was later settled by Enigma out of court. Ami singing is known for its complex contrapuntalpolyphony.
