太魯閣族( Truku)太魯閣族是原住民十二族群中,最晚獲得正名的
(二○○四年一月十四日行政院第二八七四次院會通過)。
也是在正名過程中最受爭議的。因為他們原本同屬賽德克族,也就是泰雅族群中有名的霧社事件主角莫那魯道一族。後來族人由南投山區遷往花蓮,各自發展出不同的生活習俗,因而獲得行政院同意正名,成為台灣原住民第十二族。太魯閣族約分佈於花蓮縣萬榮鄉一帶,根據行政院原住民委員會二○○三年的統計,人口總數九八六人,戶數為二百四十多戶;到了二○○六年初,人口總數增加為二○七八一人。短短幾年人口暴增的原因是,獲得正名後,許多原本登錄為泰雅族的人士,紛紛改登錄為太魯閣族,也導致泰魯閣族人數大減,由原來的原住民第二大族退居第三。太魯閣衣服皆以白色系列為主,族人皆先穿一件白色無袖上衣,再套上白色套袖。女子服飾以白底紅藍菱形相間圖型,遠看似小碎花長裙為其特色,圍腰帶,著白色護腳布,有時也披一件白色披肩,並戴有貝珠及紡線做成之胸飾,其餘如擅長織布及紋面等,均與泰雅族群相同。男子頭上喜用豬牙為裝飾,亦有在頭環或額帶縫上貝錢的,但以打過仗或獵過人頭者為限。
Truku Tribe The Trukuarethelatestof Taiwan’s12indigenoustribestohavereceivedofficialrecognition,andistheonewhoseprocessofrecognitionhadbeenthemostcontroversial. Thisisbecausethe Trukuwereonceconsideredapartofthefamed Sedektribe,abranchofthe Atayaltribe,whohadfoughtbravelyagainst Japaneseinvadersdecadesagoinwhatcametobeknownasthe Wushe Incident. Butafterthe Trukurelocatedfrom Nant‘ou’smountainouslandsto Hualienontheeastcoast,theyhavedevelopeddifferentcustomsandhaveonthisbasisobtainedthe Executive Yuan’sapprovalas Taiwan’s12thaboriginaltribe. The Trukuarespreadaround Hualien County’s Wanjung Township. Accordingto Taiwan’s Councilof Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan,asof2003the Trukupopulationnumbered986,withapproximately240households;bythebeginningof2006,thepopulationhadrisento2,0781. Thereasonforthissharpincreaseisduelargelytoachangeintribalaffiliation:somewhohadonceidentifiedwiththe Atayalregisteredthemselvesas Truku. Thus,concomitantwiththe Truku’srapidriseisthedeclineofthe Atayalfromthenation’ssecondtothethirdlargesttribe. Trukuclothingisbasedonawhitecolorscheme. Tribalmembersofbothsexestraditionallywearawhitesleevelessuppergarment,withawhitevestontop. Trukufemaleattirehasawhitebackgroundinterspersedwithcrisscrosseddiamondshapesofredandblue;fromafar,thepatternsresemblesmallshatteredflowers. Trukuwomenalsowearabelt,apairofwhiteleggings,sometimesawhiteshawl,andchestadornmentsmadeofshellbeadsandthreads. Liketheir Atayalcounterparts, Trukuwomenareskilledinweavingandfacialtattooing. Trukumen,ontheotherhand,liketowearhogteethasaheadembellishment;someprefertoadornheadbandswithshellcoins,butthispracticeisrestrictedtowarriorsandheadhunters.