Lafin Sawmah──造一艘船

Taiwan is where Austronesian peoples originated from. Amis artist Lafin Sawmah (1983-2023), who based himself in Changbin, Taitung, built a canoe in the hope of reaching out to the world through the ocean as his ancestors did. “Many of the Austronesian peoples have the tradition of boat building, and the Amis are no exception. I want to bring back this tradition to carry our culture forward and communicate with other Austronesian peoples.” According to the customs of the Ciwkangan tribe, young warriors go fishing the day before their annual "sacepo'" (Sea festival) to prepare for the fish to be offered to the tribal elders and the god of the sea. The sacepo' of 2023 was due on June 24th, and Lafin went fishing with two companions the previous day. An experienced swimmer and fish hunter while he was, he accidentally drowned and lost his life. This video is dedicated to the outstanding Amis artist, Lafin Sawmah.