I Entanglements on Orchid Island, Taiwan Gabriella Santini Thesis
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Entanglements on Orchid Island, Taiwan Gabriella Santini Thesis submitted to the University of Ottawa in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Anthropology School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies Faculty of Social Science University of Ottawa © Gabriella Santini, Ottawa, Canada, 2021 i Abstract Orchid Island, known to its Indigenous residents — the Yami people — as Pongso no Tao, is a beautiful tropical island land located off the southeastern tip of Taiwan. How do the Yami inhabit Orchid Island? With an ocean epistemology in mind, this thesis explores the various forces, materials, and peoples that flow to and from the island, entangling themselves within the Yami’s lifeworlds. From one month of participant observation, engaging with all forms of island life and walking the entirety of the island road, ethnographic vignettes, anecdotes and colourful images are intertwined to form but a glimpse of the Yami people’s story. As the story demonstrates, some Yami are caught in a double bind: knots of tension between conflicting forces entangled through and within the island. There are tensions between members of the community, between humans and non-humans, and between lifeworlds at work. The Yami find various strategies to respond to these double binds. From tension emerges new forms; new ways of being. ii Map of Orchid Island iii Table of Contents First Flow: Arriving on Orchid Island ........................................................................................ 1 PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 8 THEORY ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Ingold: Lifeworlds and Entanglements .................................................................................. 11 Gregory Bateson: The Double Bind ....................................................................................... 18 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 22 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 37 Second Flow: A Walk Along the Island. Ethnography on Foot .............................................. 43 I. IRATAY AND IMOWROD: DOG, GOATS AND NUCLEAR WASTE ................................ 50 Taipower ................................................................................................................................. 55 II. IVALINO: A STORY ABOUT TRASH .................................................................................. 64 Kasiboan ................................................................................................................................. 65 Things from “There”, Things from “Here” ............................................................................ 70 III. IRANMEYLEK: TOURISM AND THE ENTANGLEMENT OF LIFEWORLDS .............. 81 Du-Du Wu: Anito Tourism? ................................................................................................... 88 IV. IRARALEY AND YAYO: IMAGINED COMMUNITIES ................................................... 98 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 113 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 118 iv Table of Figures Figure 1 “Black Dog who doesn’t Chase.” ...................................................................................... 9 Figure 2 “Inside, Outside.” ............................................................................................................ 13 Figure 3 “Ilaod.” ............................................................................................................................ 23 Figure 4 “A Beer Can and a Sandal.” ............................................................................................ 39 Figure 5 “Ethnography on Foot.” .................................................................................................. 42 Figure 6 “Heidi Underground.” ..................................................................................................... 46 Figure 7 “Lanyu Cultural Museum.” ............................................................................................. 49 Figure 8 “Orange Fruit.” ................................................................................................................ 50 Figure 9 “Goats on the Road.” ....................................................................................................... 52 Figure 10 “Taiwan’s Nuclear Waste.” ........................................................................................... 54 Figure 11 “Foraging Goats.” ......................................................................................................... 56 Figure 12 “Hazard.” ....................................................................................................................... 58 Figure 13 “Anti-nuclear Café.” ..................................................................................................... 62 Figure 14 “Kasiboan.” ................................................................................................................... 66 Figure 15 “Lonely Rubber.” .......................................................................................................... 72 Figure 16 “Not-so-lonely Rubber.” ............................................................................................... 74 Figure 17 “Plastic Blocks.” ........................................................................................................... 76 Figure 18 “Mélange.” .................................................................................................................... 77 Figure 19 “Plastic in the Wind.” .................................................................................................... 78 Figure 20 “A Traditional Feast.” ................................................................................................... 79 Figure 21 “Traditional Yami Dwelling.” ....................................................................................... 80 Figure 22 “Night Market in Iranmeylek.” ..................................................................................... 82 Figure 23 “Sitting Idle.” ................................................................................................................ 85 Figure 24 “Boat Tours for Sale.” ................................................................................................... 86 Figure 25 “The Man and the Sea.”. ............................................................................................... 95 Figure 26 “Plastic Graveyard.” ...................................................................................................... 99 Figure 27 “Entrance to the Otherland.” ....................................................................................... 100 Figure 28 “Temple.” .................................................................................................................... 101 v Figure 29 “Road Digger.” ............................................................................................................ 103 Figure 30 “Farewell.” .................................................................................................................. 109 Figure 31 “Goat Walk.” ............................................................................................................... 111 Figure 32 “Overlooking Iranmeylek.” ......................................................................................... 117 vi First Flow: Arriving on Orchid Island PREFACE Before my departure for Orchid Island, I waited for the ferry at the Taitung marina in the extreme heat for what seemed like hours. I had just eaten some raw fish at an open-air restaurant just outside of the marina. I was starting to feel nauseous. I was very nervous. Not only was this my first serious fieldwork experience, but I had no idea where I was going. I had never been to Orchid Island before. I was impatient to see where I would spend the next four weeks, but incapable of accelerating the process. I felt powerless. We were finally directed to board the boat. I was ecstatic. I waited in line with the other frantic tourists who were also eager to visit the mysterious land of the Yami people. I could tell from their matching pink shirts that most tourists aboard were part of an organized tour – I was told that Taiwanese people tend to feel safer traveling to unknown “exotic” destinations in large, guided groups. The Taiwanese tourists were loud and agitated, which increased my anxiety. They finally calmed down when the ferry left the marina. The water was so rough that I had to close my eyes and try to sleep to avoid seasickness. Most passengers were struggling too. The ferry from Taitung to Orchid Island travels through the Kuroshio, one of the world’s strongest currents. It flows from the Philippines to the North-East and develops “into a fast (0.4–2.0