臺灣文學虛擬博物館

In 1961, Walis Nokan was born in the native Atayal tribe, Mihu, in the southern part of Xueshan (literally “Snow Mountain”) in north-central Taiwan (For sure, he didn’t know he would become a writer under Han Chinese discipline in the future). Not until the age of 12 did Walis Nokan start his Han education in a small Hakka town—Dongshi, where he needed to study books of “civilization” in a racist environment (otherwise, he would be regarded as a “bad” student). Walis Nokan gave up the flamboyant and arty style in creating poetry after he met Wu Sheng in 1979, a poet from a poem club in Taichung, who surprised Walis Nokan and made him realize that plain words are also able to evoke the power of land. He then met the poet Lin Huazhou, who wrote about the Atayal in Nan’ao of eastern Taiwan, when he went to teach in Hualien, also of eastern Taiwan in 1983. In 1984, he met laohungmao, literally “old red hat,” referring to the elder communists in Taiwan, and read a lot of magazines published by Chinatide Magazine, an association focusing on democracy and people. In 1990, he conducted field work in aboriginal tribes in mountains for two years for the magazine he established, which depicts aboriginal Hunter Culture Magazine. All these experiences help Walis Nokan shape his later literary style of postcolonialism and decolonization. ——Walis Nokan (translation by Fran Lee)

Born in an aboriginal Atayal tribe named Mihu.

Went to Tungshih Junior High School, where he was often discriminated due to his aboriginal identity.

Entered the Taiwan Provincial Junior Teachers College in Taichung (current National Taichung University of Education) .

Joined the Comet Poets Society, he read extensively the poetry by Chou Meng-tieh, Yu Guangzhong, and Yang Mu, and composed his first modern poem. He started to pay attention to the life of the lower class in society after learning about Wu Cheng’s poet...

Published a prose on the 37^th issue of the magazine Mindao Literature & Art.

Military service in Kinmen.

Began to publish his works under the pseudonym Liu Ao.

赴花蓮縣富里國小任教，創作「與學童書」、「學童記載」系列作品。

Rise of ethnic consciousness.
Met some Communists in Taiwan and learned a rough picture of the social condition of Taiwan’s aboriginals.

His work “Amaryllis” was included in the annual collection of poetry by Elite Books.

Establishment of the Aboriginal Post

Co-established the Aboriginal Post （1989-1995） with Taban Sasala and others.

Change his name to Walis Nokan and started to write and publish works under this aboriginal name.

Co-established the Hunter Culture Magazine （1990-1992） with Liglav A-wu.

His poem “Concerning Atayal” won the 1992 poetry annual award from the Modern Poetry Society.

Founded the Research Center for Humanities of Taiwan’s Aboriginal Peoples.

"Mihuo: Record of the Land" won the Jury Prize from the 16^th China Times Literary Award.

Returned to his tribe to teach and renamed himself as Walis Nokan.

“Losin Wadan: Colonialism, Ethnicity and Self” won the First Prize for Non-ficition Novel from the 17^th China Times Literary Award.

Missing My People won the 5^th Chen Xiu-Xi Poetry Award.

“He Makes Another Survey” won the Jury Prize for the 19^th Modern Chinese Poetry from China Times Literary Award.

“Atayal (War, 1896-1930)” won the First Prize for Modern Poetry from the first Taiwan Province Literature Award.

Presenting a paper on The 1st Taiwan Literature Seminar held at Columbia University in the City of New York, 4/29-5/2.

“Have You Seen the Rainbow Bridge?” won the Newcomer Prize for Fiction from the 12th Unitas Literature Award.

Helped with post-921 earthquake reconstructions.

Published the novel series Brutal Wars.

Went to Japan for the Taiwan and Japan International Exchange Symposium.

“Seven-Day Reading” [Qiridu] won the Prose Prize from the 33th Unitas Literature Award.

“School for Little Poems” won Modern Chinese Poetry Prize from the Wu Zhuo-liu Literature Award.

Invited to attend the 11^th Festival Internacional de Poesía de Granadain Nicaragua.
The first aboriginal poet represent Taiwan for this event.

Published the French version of the poem collection Mountain of Dream [Shanyoumeng].

Invited to a symposium tour co-organized by Centre culturel de Taiwan a Paris and La Maison de la poesie de Nantes.

Wins the 9th Taichung Literature Prize for Contribution to Literature.

Publication of Tear Down the Night with Eyes Open Wide.