Aljalju rulelavan (???), one of the few preservers of the Indigenous Paiwan women's hand tattoo tradition, has passed away at the age of 93, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) said Saturday.

Aljalju died on June 13 in Laiyi Township, in the mountains of Pingtung County, according to the CIP.

CIP Deputy Minister Calivat Gadu (???), who is also of the Paiwan people, went to the township on Saturday to pay his respects, and he posthumously bestowed on her a Third Class Award for Contribution to Indigenous Peoples, in recognition of her status as a preserver, the council said.

Aljalju was one of seven remaining culture conservationists in the township, who were certified last year by the Pingtung County Government in recognition of their preservation of "veci'nua lima," the traditional hand tattoos of Paiwan women.

Traditionally, with the approval of the entire village, a woman may seek the village chief's permission to obtain the tattoos, which reflect her social and familial status in the Paiwan culture, according to the CIP.

For Paiwan women, hand tattoos are symbols of honor, and each pattern has its own meaning, the council said.

Aljalju's passing is a sorrowful loss for the Indigenous population, the council said, noting that hand tattoos are part of the Paiwan people's cultural heritage.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel