THE ISSUANCE OF THE TAIWAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CULTURAL SERIES COIN SET─SAKIZAYA

The Central Bank of the Republic of China（Taiwan）will issue the 13th coin set of the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Series–SAKIZAYA on November 11, 2010. A total of 55,000 sets will be issued. The Bank of Taiwan is appointed as the delegate of the Central Bank of the Republic of China（Taiwan） to deal with the sale of the coin sets. Each set, including a NT$20 proof coin in circulation and a commemorative proof medal, costs NT$250. One person may purchase only one set of coins at one time.

The Sakizaya used to be a powerful tribe before the outbreak of the “Takubauan Battle” in 1878. After the Ching government’s suppression, the surviving Sakizaya people had to flee Hualien’s Chilai plains to live in anonymity with the Amis tribe. Almost a century later, after 17 years of a name rectification movement, the Sakizaya were officially announced Taiwan’s 13th aborigine tribe by the Executive Yuan on January 17, 2007.

The Festival of Palamal (God of Fire) and the planting of fences of Bambusa stenostachya Hackel (“thorn bamboo”) are some of the unique cultural traditions of the Sakizaya, as well as the whipping top, which was invented by the God of Wisdom, Botong, according to the Sakizaya legend.

We are grateful to the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan, for examining the symbols and literature used in the preparation for the issuance of this coin set.