Ketagalan Culture Center

Indigenous societies once developed hunting and fishing skills, warrior training, and ritual practices for survival and spiritual connection. Today, these have been transformed into dynamic forms of athletic competition. Each event reflects not only physical ability but also the lived knowledge, social structure, and spiritual memory of the community. The Indigenous Games therefore go beyond a sport-centered framework, becoming a distinct cultural expression. 

Many Indigenous youth who leave their homelands for study or work return during the games. They are not only athletes, but participants who rediscover bodily memory and reconnect with identity and community through training and competition. In movement, challenge, and cooperation, culture is experienced, practiced, and strengthened. 

This exhibition traces the evolution from the colonial “Aboriginal Sports Days” organized during the Japanese era for governance and display, to today’s Indigenous Games, where traditional skills are integrated and continuously reimagined. Join us in the arena to shout “bakəts!” and let the power of contemporary culture be fully unleashed.

Exhibition Team

Supervisor : Taipei City Government

Organizer : Indigenous Peoples Commission, Taipei City Government; Ketagalan Culture Center

Curatorial team : Mutualism Ltd. , akuanx poiconx

Implementer  : Mutualism Ltd. 

Visual Design : Panay Huang Studio

Exhibit Design : .draw studio

Exhibition Installation : Mad B Ltd.

Chapter 1 From Discipline to Revitalization

The Indigenous Body Under Colonial Discipline and Assimilation

During the Japanese colonial period, the “Indigenous administration policy” and “group relocation” significantly changed Indigenous ways of life. Through schools and sports events, the government incorporated Indigenous communities into the administrative system, promoting calisthenics, hygiene education, and various athletic activities. These measures were not only for physical strengthening but also to instill discipline and obedience, standardizing bodily movements for easier governance.

At the same time, sports events became platforms for displaying “civilization.” Traditional songs and dances were rearranged, clothing was modified, and skills such as hunting and archery were turned into competitive sports. In this process, Indigenous bodies were reshaped between regulation and performance.

From Traditional Ritual to Competitive Sport

Although Indigenous peoples nowadays rarely rely on hunting or warfare, the skills once honed in those practices have not disappeared. Indigenous Games transform the physical abilities rooted in ritual, combat, and daily life into dynamic sporting events. Through running, throwing, pulling, and carrying, participants not only test their strength but also revive ancestral wisdom—passing culture on through laughter and sweat.

The Shifting Meanings of Space

From forests and coastal waters to the track and field arena, both the setting and the rules have changed. This shift reminds us that culture is not only rooted in past environments, but also continues to transform and express itself in new spaces in different ways.

Reunion and Honor

When hometown sports events are held, Indigenous people living elsewhere are “called back home” to compete. Everyone gets moving, and it feels less like a competition and more like a lively reunion of classmates and family. No matter how tough the training is, cheers from the crowd instantly bring energy back. Through sweat and teamwork, people grow closer and strengthen their bonds.

Chapter 2 Where Sweat Turns into Moments — Traditional Competitive Games

From bodily skills to lived wisdom and cultural memory, each moment of sweat embodies the continuity of communal spirit, collective strength, and ancestral knowledge, intertwining in the arena as moments of cultural transmission and inheritance.

Chapter 3 Listening to Life’s Stories

Two videos in this section document the continuity and renewal of traditional wrestling and archery today: Atayal wrestling coach Yumin Walis returns to his homeland, blending modern training with Atayal values to nurture a confident new generation of athletes; in urban indigenous archery competitions, elders, adults, and youth gather to share skills, memories, and reconnect through each draw of the bow. Through everyday practice and gatherings, culture continues to grow and sustain the community.

Chapter 4 Beyond the game, I also came to see…

Beyond the Label: Rethinking "Indigenous Athletic Prowess"

The phrase "Indigenous people are naturally gifted at sports" may seem like a compliment, yet it often reduces a complex journey of athletic development to mere biological advantage. When we focus solely on "natural talent," do we overlook the accessibility of training resources, the quality of coaching and systemic support, and the diversity of individual aspirations and choices?

Every step taken on the field is not a result of destiny, but rather the intersection of personal effort and the surrounding environment. What truly deserves recognition is the unique, unsimplified path behind every athlete.

It is time to rethink this label.