Siraya people
Night Festival of the Siraya people | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Tainan City and Taitung county (Taiwan) | |
| Languages | |
| Siraya (formerly), Mandarin, Hokkien | |
| Religion | |
| Animism, Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Taiwanese Aborigines Especially Taivoans and Makatao |
The Siraya (Chinese: 西拉雅族; pinyin: Xīlāyǎ Zú) people are a Taiwanese indigenous people. The Siraya settled flat coastal plains in the southwest part of the island of Taiwan and corresponding sections of the east coast; the area is identified today with Tainan and Taitung County. At least four communities comprise the group: Mattauw, Soelangh, Baccloangh, and Sinckan. The first four communities correspond to the modern-day districts of Madou, Jiali, Shanhua, and Sinshih, respectively.
The Siraya are Plains Indigenous peoples, meaning occupants of flat coastal regions rather than mountain areas. Like other indigenous peoples of Taiwan, they are Austronesian peoples. The name "Taiwan" (historically Tayoan, Chinese: 臺員) originated from the Siraya language. The Austronesian languages to which Sirayan belongs includes some of the most widely-spoken languages in the western Pacific, including Indonesian, Javanese, Tagalog (or standardized as Filipino), and Malay.
Taivoan and Makatao used to be considered Sirayan communities but are now classified as independent peoples based on the latest linguistic discoveries, cultural features, and self-identification.