The Beinan, also known as the Puyuma or Pinuyumayan, are one of Taiwan’s officially recognized Indigenous groups, primarily residing in Taitung County on the island’s southeastern coast. Historically, they were a powerful ethnic group before the 17th century and reached a peak during the Pinadray period. The Puyuma society has a strict hierarchy ranked by age and community house. Practices of magic are very powerful and well-known among the Indigenous peoples in Taiwan.
The Beinan people face significant challenges, including land rights issues and cultural erosion. Despite the enactment of the Spatial Planning Act in 2016, which acknowledges and protects Indigenous people’s land rights and ecological knowledge, Indigenous peoples in Taiwan still face significant challenges in asserting their land rights, often undermined by the government.
In response to these challenges, the Beinan community has demonstrated remarkable resilience through cultural preservation and advocacy. Since 2011, the National Museum of Prehistory’s Beinan Cultural Park has collaborated with the Puyuma village of the Indigenous Pinuyumayan people on the cultivation of millet and the revival of related practices. Over the past nine years, these efforts have not only resuscitated Pinuyumayan culture but also made the museum an important part of passing on that millet culture for the village and strengthening relations among community members.
