Overview

Syaman Rapongan is a chronicler of his people, the Tao, an Indigenous community who live on Orchid Island near the island of Taiwan. In Eyes of the Sky, he invites readers to learn the ways of this oceanic world-and to learn to see their own worlds anew through a Tao lens. Employing oral storytelling conventions, Eyes of the Sky opens by recounting the history of the Tao, from their mythic origins to the present day. Its first chapter is narrated by a giant trevally, a fish common to the waters around Orchid Island. It then tells the stories of three generations of a single family-father, son, and grandson-exploring the transformation of Tao society through their encounters with Han-Taiwanese modernity. Syaman Rapongan paints a vivid picture of his homeland-its mountains and seas, flora and fauna, climate and ecology-as well as local culture and customs. In describing fishing practices, canoe building, and conversations with friends from his village, he illustrates the Tao's ecological worldview, lived experience, and struggle to preserve their culture. Written in conversational prose with evocative detail, this book is a powerful testament to how Indigenous people and stories persevere.

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9780231211703

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Reviews

The translation of Syaman Rapongan’s Eyes of the Sky at last allows Anglophone readers to see one of the most important Indigenous works of literature from the western Pacific. The novel depicts a world where settler values appear to overtake Indigenous cosmologies, but the Tao people practice their survivance with resilience and grace. This is a universal tale of devotions and regrets, songs and stories, about multispecies interdependence, generational continuities, Indigenous-settler relations, and the wondrous moments where flying fish scales shimmer like stars that are the eyes of the sky. -- Shu-mei Shih, coeditor of <i>Indigenous Knowledge in Taiwan and Beyond</i>

The translation of Syaman Rapongan’s Eyes of the Sky at last allows Anglophone readers to see one of the most important Indigenous works of literature from the western Pacific. The novel depicts a world where settler values appear to overtake Indigenous cosmologies, but the Tao people practice their survivance with resilience and grace. This is a universal tale of devotions and regrets, songs and stories, about multispecies interdependence, generational continuities, Indigenous-settler relations, and the wondrous moments where flying fish scales shimmer like stars that are the eyes of the sky. -- Shu-mei Shih, coeditor of <i>Indigenous Knowledge in Taiwan and Beyond</i> Syaman Rapongan’s poignant meditation on the oceanic civilization of the Tao people unfolds through voices of agile fish, seasoned fishermen, aggrieved daughters, and mixed-race youth. Tao and Mandarin worlds come alive in Shernuk’s masterful translation as generational knowledge and colonial history shape identity, spirituality and ecology on a Pacific island. -- Robin Visser, author of <i>Questioning Borders: Ecoliteratures of China and Taiwan</i> As one of Syaman Rapongan’s most representative works, this novel explores the traditional Tao culture of Orchid Island and its modern transformations. Expertly translated by Kyle Shernuk, who balances accuracy and cultural nuance, this edition significantly contributes to contemporary Taiwanese literature and the growing field of global Indigenous studies. -- Sung-Sheng Yvonne Chang, author of <i>Literary Culture in Taiwan: Martial Law to Market Law</i>

Author Information

Syaman Rapongan is an acclaimed Tao writer who lives on Pongso no Tao or Orchid Island. He is the author of many books, including Eyes of the Ocean, published in English translation by Columbia University Press. Syaman Rapongan is a tireless advocate for Tao culture, an expert diver, and a master canoe carver. Kyle Shernuk is assistant professor of modern Chinese literature and culture at Georgetown University.

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