Salizan Takisvilainan: Custodian of Bunun Heritage and the Mountains
– Taiwan
Bunun writer Salizan Takisvilainan channels his deep connection to his roots into his literary and cultural work. With a profound emotional attachment to his homeland, Salizan initially expressed his thoughts and feelings through poetry and essays. Over time, his literary focus shifted toward reportage, aiming to mend the cultural and historical ruptures faced by his community. His notable work, Moving Mountains: A Tale of Rangers and Porters (Horští nosiči), symbolizes this effort to uplift and carry forward the heritage of his people. Salizan has dedicated himself to nurturing Bunun culture through the establishment of Millet String Publishing House, focusing on preserving and publishing the oral histories of elders in the Bunun language, ensuring that their wisdom and stories persist through generations.