Seediq Tgdaya, Sediq Toda and Sejiq Truku are the three dialect groups that make up the Seediq tribe. According to legend, the Seediq came from Mudan Rock in the Central Mountain Range. Today they are distributed throughout Hualien County’s Xiulin, Zhuoxi, and Wanrong townships.
Cultural Features
The Seediq share face-tattooing traditions with the Truku, recognizing tattoos as marks of maturity and tribal identity. They firmly believe in the ancestral spirit bridge- “the body will die, but the soul will live forever and live with the ancestors (Utux Rudan) after death for forever.”
Festivals
Sowing and harvesting rituals are the Seediq’s most important ceremonies. The sowing ritual occurs between February and March, and harvesting between September and October. Chief priests and their teams perform the ceremony in absolute privacy. From the placement of altars to performing rites, none can be observed.