Photos from Life of Taiwan website for the Taipei Times

Taiwan's original people (???) have lived on this island for perhaps 8,000 years and are all Austronesian-speaking people -- some anthropologists even believe all Austronesian people originated in Taiwan. Taiwanese Aboriginals have many ethnic groups, languages and traditions, and have all been assimilated into modern Han Taiwanese society to differing degrees. Taiwan's government divides these indigenous people into (a fairly arbitrary) fourteen 'officially recognized Aboriginal Tribes,' and an even more arbitrary 'High Mountain' and 'Plains' Aboriginals. Today, recognized Aboriginals comprise about 2% of Taiwan's population -- although recent genetic studies indicate this number could be closer to 60% if it included 'Plains Aboriginals. The fourteen recognized groups are: Amis ???, Atayal ???, Bunun ???, Kavalan ????, Paiwan ???, Puyuma ???, Rukai ???, Saisiyat ???, Sakizaya ?????, Seediq ????, Tao ???, Thao ??, Tsou ?? and Truku ????. Some unrecognized groups that are actively lobbying for recognition are: Babuza, Basay, Hoanya, Ketagalan, Luilang, Pazeh/Kaxabu, Papora, Qauqaut, Siraya, Taokas and Trobiawan Nomenclature can be confusing as names are translated from ancient, sometimes extinct, languages and arbitrary groupings into Chinese (sometimes via Taiwanese) and then into English.