Author:Jing-Huei, Liao / Translator: Li-Feng, Wang / Photo Courtesy:Jing-Huei, Liao via flickr

The seaside rice planted by Makota'ay senior farmers will be put on the market as Mibaliw, meaning ‘mutual help’ in Amis (the Formosan language of the indigenous Amis/Pangcah people). According to the project manager, Sumi Dongi, the Mibaliw rice is not simply a manifestation of Makota'ay being a fertile land, but it carries a far more important mission of wine production.

Sumi Dongi explained that in the past when food was not enough to feed the whole tribe, the Amis people used to brew solely for worshiping spirits and the earth and for honoring the elder. It was on these occasions that wine was available.

Sumi’s ultimate goal is to establish a winery and a tribal industry as a way to revitalize Amis drinking culture. In the matriarchal Amis society, uncles on the mother’s side are honored. Therefore, faki (seniors or male seniors) are the first ones to be served wine by ina (mothers or female seniors) in festivals, and it is when Amis children acquire traditional drinking culture.

Homemade Brewing Yeast

Even if Sumi has the know-how of brewing, it is after six years of constant failures that she finally succeeds in cultivating rice yeast with a blend of the seaside rice and big-leaved marshweeds. The success brings her much closer to realize the winery dream. Since there are only a handful of old ladies at Makota'ay who know how to ferment rice for brewing, Sumi’s success also means that the tribal knowledge can be passed down to the coming generations.

There are many brewing taboos in the Amis culture. Since three days before engaging in brewing, brewers cannot have sex or quarrels. They must be in the best condition mentally and physically to ensure the wine quality.

Before making the rice yeast, Sumi had some glutinous rice bought and ground it with the harvested seaside rice. Then, the other two ina blended the ground rice with big-leaved marshweeds and two other spices in a ventilatory daluan (hunter’s shelter). The ina then put their homemade old yeast in the ground mass and softly rolled it apart into small dough-like balls. After placing the balls on rattan baskets for three days, white germs could be spotted and these balls could then be introduced to the air and sunlight. Sumi mentioned that they failed in making the yeast before because the rice was bought on the market and the ingredients were mixed in a blender. Their success resulted from the use of the seaside rice and big-leaved marshweeds full of microorganisms.

The Winery

The Amis people at Makota'ay have not planted glutinous rice in their terrace fields, but Sumi wants to make a further step by planting glutinous rice at the northern and southern ends after the recent harvest. Meanwhile, water will be directed into the rice paddy in the middle so as to maintain the wetland ecology. In so doing, the Amis people can show their care for wetland creatures while carrying out the winery dream. Sumi believes that in order to attract more Amis farmers to take part in the project at Makota'ay, the seaside rice has to be integrated with the Amis culture, and ultimately serves as the ground to revitalize the Amis drinking culture. With the establishment of a winery, they can build up a tribal industry and attract more participants with the profits it brings.

Restoration of the Amis/Pangcah Dignity

The winery has another mission which is to subvert the drunkard label cast to indigenous people. Sumi mentioned that indigenous people are not born to be alcohol addicts, they rely on alcohol simply because of predicaments and setbacks in life. They find themselves trapped in-between two cultures and are unable to live up to the glorious Amis/Pangcah image. The Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Cooperation has its part to play in the making of the drunkard stereotype for it makes alcohol readily available everywhere. Sumi hopes to dedicate herself to the change of Amis people’s drinking habit and revitalizing the traditional drinking culture imbued with pride and gratitude so as to restore Amis people’s dignity and make them proud of being Amis.