Saisiyat people


The Saisiyat, also spelled Saisiat, are an indigenous people of Taiwan. In 2000 the Saisiyat numbered 5,311, which was approximately 1.3% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them one of the smallest aboriginal groups in that country. The Saisiyat inhabit Western Taiwan, overlapping the border between Hsinchu County and Miaoli County. They are divided into the Northern Branch and the Southern Branch, each with its own dialect. Their language is also known as Saisiyat.

Names

Saisiyat are sometimes rendered as Saiset, Seisirat, Saisett, Saisiat, Saisiett, Saisirat, Saisyet, Saisyett, Amutoura, or Bouiok.

Culture

The Saisiyat people hold a festival called Pasta’ay every two years.
Saisiat Global Flood Account
In the ancient times, human beings were created by god and lived in the original land. Then a flood happened suddenly and human beings were dispersed everywhere without knowing what would happen. Then, a man sat on a weaving loom and floated to Airubia Mountain. There was a god called Otspoehobong on the mountains. The god grabbed the man suddenly. Fearing that the flood would cause human beings to be extinct, the god killed the survivor, pounded his flesh, chanted an incantation, and threw the flesh of the dismembered corpse into the sea. The flesh turned into human beings. They were our ancestors named Siasiat by the god. Then the god cut his intestines and threw into the sea. The intestines turned into human beings. They were the ancestors, of Taiwanese… Then it threw his bones into the sea. The bones also turned into human beings. They were ancestors of the indomitable Atayal people.