Hunting Taboos

In the Paiwanese culture, it is a taboo to hunt and kill Mountain Hawk-Eagles, Taiwanese Black Bears and Clouded Leopards. The traditional way of harvesting Mountain Hawk-Eagle feathers is to gather the naturally fallen feathers in the forest. Occasionally, some hunters would capture Mountain Hawk-Eagles and release it immediately after taking a pair of primary flight feathers. Considering only the chiefs are eligible to wear these feathers and that the cultural restraint used to be powerful, the traditional harvesting method had been able to meet the needs of most tribes.

If in any case a Mountain Hawk-Eagle is killed or found dead in a trap, it is a taboo to bring the carcass into the tribe. The carcass would be placed just outside of the tribe, and a medicine man/woman (Paiwanese: pulingaw) would conduct a ritual to peace the soul of the bird. The hunter who has resulted in the death of the Mountain Hawk-Eagle needs to offer five boars at the ritual, and offer the best pair of primary flight feathers (Paiwanese: palic) of the bird to the chief of the tribe. It is only after the ritual is complete can the hunter bring the carcass into the tribe and make further use of the carcass.

Despite the ritual, some tribes still believe that one cannot hunt more than five Mountain Hawk-Eagles in his life or his life would be shortened and bad luck would fall upon his family.