Musician of Amis heritage finds parallels between Indigenous experiences in Taiwan and Canada
Struck by Kent Monkman’s paintings, Suana Emuy Cilangasay incorporates some of the Cree artist’s paintings into new video for TAIWANfest 2021
Suana Emuy Cilangasay is an Amis musician who discovered his Indigenous heritage as an adult.
TAIWANfest 2021 presents Suana Emuy Cilangasay’s “Healing for Damaged Emotions”, made in collaboration with Kent Monkman, to September 12 for free online.
SUANA EMUY CILANGASAY is an Amis musician who grew up in Takugang, a town in a rift valley plain on the east coast of Taiwan. He only learned of his Indigenous identity as an adult, when he returned with his mother to her mountainous hometown.
Taiwan is home to 14 aboriginal tribes, of which the Amis are the largest.
In 2019, the singer-songwriter, broadcaster, and theatre artist travelled to Vancouver to perform at TAIWANfest. He saw many parallels between Indigenous people here and those in his home country.
“Education in Taiwan when I was growing up never taught us to pay much attention to our Indigenous identities,” Cilangasay tells Stir. “There wasn’t any history education on the Indigenous people. Colonial government even discriminated against the Indigenous people; they used the Chinese language and twisted histories to turning the Indigenous people to be Chinese. As a result…I didn’t resonate with my heritage.”
Cilangasay, who is among the musicians featured at TAIWANfest 2021, explains that once he began learning about his familial heritage, he focused on sharing that knowledge through his art.
“In 2013, I decided that I wanted to focus on music by the Indigenous peoples, integrating what I have learned all my life to my identity, and creating more contemporary music for the Indigenous people,” he says. “I always hope that more people can learn about our language through this music. I truly believe this is the start of any culture, not only for people to hear, but also to advocate for people to find their identity.”
During his time in Vancouver two years ago, at the start of every TAIWANfest event, Cilangasay heard the Indigenous land acknowledgement. He had never experienced anything like it. He learned, for the first time, about the abuses of Indigenous people by colonial settlers and the realities of residential schools as well as the steps, however overdue and incomplete, that are underway toward truth and reconciliation.
“I was so moved when I heard the land acknowledgement…and I really wish that one time I could hear the same in Taiwan,” Cilangasay says. “I was so surprised to see the commitment from the Canadian government to face the historical wrong and the efforts in cultivating conversations with the Indigenous people. From where I live, this still seems to be unreachable.”
Through the 2019 TAIWANfest, Cilangasay also encountered the work of Kent Monkman. The interdisciplinary visual artist of River Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory (Manitoba) is one of the most important contemporary artists in the country today. His paintings in the Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience exhibition inserted queer Indigenous peoples into Canada’s shameful colonial history.
With Monkman’s permission, Cilangasay has incorporated some of his arresting works into a new video for a song he wrote for TAIWANfest 2021 called “Healing for Damaged Emotions”.
“He [Monkman] and I both all use the arts to allow histories to resurface, hoping people who only learned about the histories to also care for the same matters,” Cilangasay says. “I feel combining the works of Kent Monkman and my music is an attempt to collaborate internationally to echo to each other on the same historical injustice, loud and clear.”
The song came about following an exchange Cilangasay had with TAIWANfest founder Charlie Wu.
“I only briefly saw the past sufferings of the Indigenous people in Canada but everything I saw was already gut-wrenching and heartbreaking,” Cilangasay says. “It all reminded me of the similar experiences with the Indigenous people in Taiwan.
“I wasn’t able to use words to convey what I was feeling but I was surprised to receive a note from Charlie Wu,” he says. “He is always able to see through our minds and the words from the note actually helped organize my mixed emotions. As I thought those words were also genuine thoughts from him, I decided to use these beautiful words as the lyrics. I also translated them to the Amis language. A beautiful song was born.
“With Kent Monkman’s works included, I feel the song has just woken up and becomes alive,” he says.
Cilangasay, who plays numerous instruments, including piano, violin, and drum, often conveys themes related to human rights, freedom, and justice in his work, such as on his album Hoag’s Object. His release Naomi focuses on the dream for peace and racial equity.
“I care about humanity’s issues,” he says. “In Taiwan, the issue of the Indigenous people is huge. We advocate for protecting our lands, especially the abuses or misuses of the traditional territories.
“As a member of Taitung, we are committed to defend the last sanctuary in Taiwan,” he says. “Consequently, I am extremely aware of those who were suppressed, like the Tibetans, Uyghurs and Hong Kongers being suppressed by the Chinese government. I sometimes felt saddened and powerless; we all crave for a fair and balanced life, not the life born from the harsh suppressions of people’s rights and freedom.”
Participating in TAIWANfest, which has among its goals the formation of global connections, helps life his spirits.
“When you meet a group of people who also work so hard for what they believe in, you are just so inspired,” he says. “In this infinite universe, it is great to learn that we all have thoughts about people, ideas and things we care so much that we work hard to protect or advocate for.”
For more information, see TAIWANfest.
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