This paper analyzes the relationship between infectious disease and
the change of the Taiyal tribal society under Japanese Rule. The focus of
the analysis is on the change of and the interaction between the Taiyal's
living environment, their traditional culture, and the pattern of the
diseases. The paper notes that the Taiyal was the chief target of colonial
government's policy of controlling the aborigines and that the Taiyal
society changed markedly during the colonial period. The study focuses on
the influence of the infectious diseases as one of the major factors that
caused the change of the tribal society.
The paper concludes that the Taiyal had adjusted themselves to Taiwan's
particular natural environment by establishing specific cultural mechanism.
Both the tradition of head-hunting and the practice of dispersing themselves
in mountain area had the function of preventing diseases. This Taiyal cultural
tradition was also defined "barbarian" customs. The colonial government forced
the Taiyal to move away from the mountain area and to practice rice-farming in
order to exploiting natural resources of this area. As a result of this
aborigine-controlling policy, the Taiyal was more vulnerable to infections,
such as epidemic and endemic malaria in civilized area. The spread of the
new diseases damaged Taiyal's health and the tribal society was increasingly
dependent upon the modern medical system. Disease thus played an important
role in the change of the Taiyal tribal society.