The Renewal of Weaving Culture and Tribal Community for Tluku Women in Taiwan

Tluku tribe, one of indigenous people in Taiwan, locates in west part of Hualien county. Tluku tribe has been characterized by the craft of textile weaving. In addition, this weaving craft has become the symbol of ideal women since it is particularly performed by women in terms of the gender division of labor . Compared with other tribes, there is higher proportion of women still participating in textile weaving by traditional loom as well as newly improved machine. In fact, Tluku women play an important role on the revival of weaving culture in Hualien. This research tries to investigate the mechanism of conservation of weaving culture, which refers to the interlocking process of female laboring, cultural identity and market profit . More specifically, the dimensions of production and consumption are observed. The dimension of production is related to the weaver’s body skills, family memory, and consideration of use value as well as exchange value. The dimension of consumption refers to the changing identity of the consumers/users, the intervention of local organization and government. Under this process, the mechanism for the conservation of weaving culture is pursued and the tribal community could be renewed.