本文旨在探究噶哈巫文化復振運動的興起成因與行動目標，並分析此文化復振運動的社會意義。本文認為，噶哈巫人在進行文化復振運動時，同時也是在鍛造一個新興的原住民族。文化的復振與符號的意義之重塑一方面可以作為民族心靈的內涵，另方面則可作為區辨我群與他者的邊界。而在政治與社會意義上，此一新興原住民族的「他者」，很可能是現今台灣的中華民國政府。噶哈巫人所欲追求的目標，無論是身份、尊嚴，或是資源的需求，都是現今中央政府所沒有同意回復或給予的。本文想要表達的是，正是由於「現在」的不平等處境，才會引發民族建構的需求；而不是這個「原型民族」原本就是個民族。噶哈巫文化復振運動的意義並不是「再現」這個民族，而是「建構」一個新興的原住民族。

This article aims to examine the causes and goals of Kahabu culture reviving movement in the interest of eliciting its social meanings. It argues that the movement not only brings out a culture revival of Kahabu but also constructs a newly born indigenous people simultaneously. The success of “reviving” the cultural heritages, on one hand, serves the people’s spiritual needs; on the other hand, draws an ethical boundary between “us” and “the other.” From a socio-political perspective, this paper argues that “the other,” as opposed to the Kahabu, seems to be the current government of Taiwan. It is the general lack of recognition and validation of the Kahabu people from the central government causing the endeavor to pursue acknowledgement of Kahabu as an indigenous people. Therefore, the significance of Kahabu culture reviving movement is as a matter of fact a ‘construction’ of a newly born indigenous people rather than a ‘representation’ of an existing one.