Bamboo and Culture

The teachers of the Renum Novarum Center afterschool courses introduced the students to many common bamboo species so that they could learn about the bamboo species in their villages. Osmanthus bamboo is one of the common and easy-to-obtain resources in the Atayal environment. As it is widely used, Csmanthus bamboo is seen everywhere, from construction material to food. As you can see, bamboo is an everyday necessity for the Atayal people. This course hopes to use bamboo to connect the children with their tribal culture, allowing them to increase their knowledge of their ethnic group and self value through learning.

At the beginning of the class, the children did not have much thought about bamboo; some of them even thought that it was a very common plant. But with the guidance of the teachers, the children began to understand more about bamboo and how to express their ideas about the plant. When the teacher asked if the elders in the students’ families knew how to make bamboo weaving, the students all eagerly present the works of their families. After the student's presentation, the teacher explained how there are fewer and fewer people who are learning this art. Thus, the bamboo weavings made by elders are very precious. The teacher encourages students to learn from the elders to preserve local traditions while learning a new skill.

When the teacher asked whether the students had relatives or friends who worked in the bamboo cutting field, the voice of the children's discussion rose. Some children even stated that they themselves had done bamboo cutting with their relatives and friends. There are not many jobs that can be done in remote mountain areas, thus making bamboo cutting a very important profession. But through the course, the students learned the importance of bamboo in their tribes and their wide range of usage. They also worked on their self-identity and increased their perspective, increasing the connection between the tribe and the children so that they are willing to learn about their own culture.

This course allowed children to learn about ethnic culture and develop their understanding of bamboo. Bamboo cutting is more about just cutting and selling, there is also the art of transforming them to a higher value. Children are like bamboo, Although they seen as ordinary, they have a variety of developments. They need someone to process and transform them with patience and perseverance in order to make them demonstrate their value.