都蘭阿美族的小米週期儀式為其年度週期儀式的核心，隱含有該社會相當清楚的性別區辨(distinction)觀念與階序關係。這一系列的週期儀式之間存在著一種時間上的連續性以及與其相對應的季節活動(狩獵、農耕與漁撈)，更包含了相關的人與社會組織之間的緊密結合。這樣的連續性與其隱含的次序關係具有什麼樣的社會文化意涵？在阿美族的生產活動與儀式裡，性別的分工相當重要，在小米週期的儀式中，性吸區辨又到底代表什麼樣的意義？本文的分析將嘗試回管這兩個問題。文章以六十年前日本學者古野清人的文獻為基礎，配合筆者在都蘭的田野調查，除企圖重建小米週期在阿美族儀式體系中的意義之外，並試著透過阿美族的民族誌材料，探討法國人類學理論中關於階序的概念。

　　　　　In the annual cycle of the ‘Amis in’ Tolan, the ritual cycle of the millet occupies a central place. In this ritual cycle, the symbolic distinctions of sex and hierarchy are quiet clear. A kind of continuity in time exists in this series of rituals which seems to represent the close relationship among the seasonal activities (collective hunting, agriculture and collective fishing), the people and the social organization. We intend to answer the following two questions in this article: What does this continuity mean? In ‘Amis productive activity and ritual, the division of labor by sex is very important. What does the distinction of sex mean within the ritual cycle of the millet? The Japanese researcher Furuno Kiyoto did his fieldwork in the village of’ Tolan sixty years ago. Through revisiting the didn’t record and contextualize his rich description in social space and time.