4 - The Revival of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge in Taiwan - Seed Preservation and Brewing Culture

The Amis people are renowned for their expertise in gathering and consuming wild vegetables among the indigenous peoples in Taiwan. They have a strong understanding of environmental conservation and sustainability. Through their ecological knowledge, indigenous communities’ members can preserve the best their traditional dietary culture.

Through a fortuitous encounter, I learned about the concept of "seed bank," which preserves seeds and crops from around the world to ensure the preservation of crop genes in the face of catastrophic disasters on Earth. In Amis culture, wine plays a vital role in rituals, blessings, weddings, and harvest festivals, serving as a significant medium for connecting the people with their ancestors. While in 1957, Taiwan government officially banned the private wine making in the indigenous villages, especially, the prohibition of alcoholic fermentation had a profound impact on the indigenous people's annual rituals and brewing culture. This further led to a quick loss of traditional societal values and traditional knowledge of plants used for brewing, making the urgent revival of alcohol fermentation plants even more critical. This paper will discuss the possible interventions on preserving brewing techniques and plants like Winkled Marshweed, Taiwan ebony, Ailanthus prickly ash and betel pepper in the communities, providing further insights into the seed conservation in-situ.