Distinguished Taiwan Alumni Award Nomination 2018 | Steven A. Martin, Ph.D.

Steven’s outstanding achievements following his scholarship in the Taiwan Studies program at National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Steven’s experiences studying at National Chengchi University, Taiwan inspired him to become a lifelong learner and teacher. He has documented his personal journey in the form of a series of journals, videos, and Website instruction for his students. This has now grown to include a wide range of content: StevenAndrewMartin.com

Steven has dedicated several Web pages to his scholarship in Taiwan, including unique ethnographic fieldwork with the Bunun, fortunately being present at just the right time to document a traditional ethnic Taiwanese lifestyle and culture:

StevenAndrewMartin.com /Taiwan/

StevenAndrewMartin.com /Ethnographic-Research/

Ethnographic filmmaking and participation in the film industry of Taiwan led Steven to develop 3-online multimedia and educational resource agencies and consultancies, through which he continues to encourage others to follow a path of international education and learning:

StudyAbroadJournal.com/

UniversityFilmworks.com/

EducationAbroadAsia.com/

After graduating from National Chengchi University, Taipei, with a Master of Arts degree in Taiwan Studies, Steven was offered a lecturing position in the Faculty of International Studies, Prince of Songkla University in Phuket, Thailand. At this prestigious royal university, he incorporated Taiwan Studies into the curriculum for students of Eastern Civilization and Southeast Asian Civilization courses:

StevenAndrewMartin.com /Eastern-Civilization/

StevenAndrewMartin.com /Southeast-Asian-Civilization/

While teaching in Thailand, Steven also obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and received a full PhD scholarship in Environmental Management through Prince of Songkla University. For his PhD, Steven developed social, economic, and environmental sustainability indicators in Southeast Asia, and interviewed many of the world’s most famous surfers and surf research scientists, incorporating their insights into what became a ground-breaking study on SRSI (Surf Resource Sustainability Index). After being awarded the 2012 Best Paper Award in Green Tourism at the Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) conference in Taipei, this work became a series of five published papers in international journals and one book chapter:

StevenAndrewMartin.com /Surf-Tourism-Research/

Steven received tenure in 2013 in the Faculty of International Studies, Department of Thai and ASEAN Studies, at Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, based on his teaching experience and publication record. He has continued to publish research in various fields, and in recognition of his ongoing work he has been officially nominated for the position of Assistant Professor in Social Sciences and Anthropology, Prince of Songkla University:

StevenAndrewMartin.com /Awards-Scholarship/

Further ethnographic research at Academia Sinica

The personal relationships Steven forged in Taiwan as an international post-graduate student made for long-term opportunities in filmmaking, publishing and scholarship. At National Chengchi University, Steven studied with world-leading researchers such as Professor David Blundell, who opened doors to indigenous communities in Southern Taiwan, especially the Bunun, whose rapidly-disappearing cultural heritage Steven documented in a series of unique films. Steven also worked with other renowned academics, including Professor Peter Bellwood (Australia National University) who he first met at Academia Sinica.

In 2014, Steven presented his research: “Contextualizing island Formosa through cultural heritage, digital mapping, and museology: A new trial for the journey home to the Bunun villages of old Laipunuk, Taiwan” at the 2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous peoples held at Academia Sinica, and was subsequently invited to National Chengchi University as an alumnus and guest speaker at the International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies (IDAS).

The relationships formed in Taiwan’s research institutes led to the production of ethnographic films and research publications in peer-reviewed academic journals, and recently producing a chapter for a new publication coordinated and edited by Academia Sinica commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines:

Martin, Steven Andrew, and David Blundell. 2017. “Cultural Continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), Southern Taiwan.” Religion, Law, and State: Cultural Re-invigoration in a New Age. Hsun Chang and Chih-wei Tsai, eds. Chapter 8. Taipei: Academia Sinica and Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. Pp. 217-248. [Refereed]

More than a decade since graduating from NCCU, Steven is very active in international academic conference presenting, filmmaking, and publishing:

Stevenandrewmartin.com /Publication/

Stevenandrewmartin.com /Video-Film/

Experiences in Taiwan Studies and Steven’s development through the years

Steven has often commented that one of the most outstanding aspects of being a graduate student in Taiwan was the way in which the experience opened his heart to research and learning.

Taiwan set him on a path of lifelong learning, and he still embraces this philosophy in the Chinese context of “Huo dao lao, xie dao lao” (活到老学到老), “Live arrive old, study arrive old”, an idea which is particularly relevant to the synergy of Taiwan’s unique academic culture and Taiwanese hospitality.

Steven has always been very open to communicating and collaborating with other students and scholars across disciplines and fields of study.

Today, Steven shares the intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm gained in Taiwan with his international undergraduate and graduate students from Thailand, Southeast Asia and beyond, as well as with the global audience of his many journal articles, conference proceedings and book chapters.

Steven’s success in Thailand links well the new Taiwan southbound initiative for progressively interacting with ASEAN countries in terms of economic and cultural exchanges.

Academic Publications and proceedings in Taiwan Studies

Martin, S. A. (2006). Ethnohistorical perspectives among the Bunun: A case study of Laipunuk, Taiwan. Master’s thesis. National Cheng-Chi University, Taipei, ROC.

Martin, S. A. (2010). Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu)—The last frontier of the Bunun during the Japanese occupation on Taiwan: Ethnographic narratives of an Isbukun elder. Scholarly presentation [PowerPoint]. 3rd Annual PSU Phuket Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development. Nov. 17–19. Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand.

Martin, S. A. (2011). Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu)—The last frontier of the Taiwan aborigines during the Japanese occupation on Taiwan: Ethnographic narratives of a Bunun elder. The International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAPS), 7(1) 123–142.

Martin, S. A. (2011). Music, marriage and adaptation among the Bunun from lost Laipunuk, southern Taiwan. CD Proceedings of the 4th Annual PSU Research Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development(p. 46). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, November 16–18.

Martin, S. A. (2011). Rebuilding mama’s house—An ethnohistorical reconstruction and homecoming of the Bunun on Taiwan. Journal of International Studies, 1(2) 61–78. Phuket, Thailand: Faculty of International Studies, Prince of Songkla University.

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2014). Contextualizing island Formosa through cultural heritage, digital mapping, and museology: A new trial for the journey home to the Bunun villages of old Laipunuk, Taiwan. Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous peoples: Contemporary Perspectives (p. 89). Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, September 15–17.

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2014). Marginalization, social change, and heritage: A continuum of Bunun in southern Taiwan. Proceedings of the 20th Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Congress Cambodia 2014 (p. 210). Siem Reap, Cambodia, January 12–18.

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2017). Cultural continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), southern Taiwan (pp. 215–246). In H. Chang and A. Mona [C. Tsai] (Eds.), Religion, law and state: Cultural re-invigoration in the new age. Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines and SMC: Taipei.

Ethnohistorical Research & Publication

In 2003, I met David Blundell, an anthropologist who studied aesthetic and visual anthropology at UCLA and was teaching a course at National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taiwan. The course was called Culture and Ethnic Structure of Taiwan, and several students were making a film for their class project. David and the students invited me to learn more about the course and the film project, which focused on the Bunun, an indigenous ethnolinguistic group.

The film is named Rendezvouz with the Moon.

One night, I received a phone call from Tommie Williamson (1955-2017) (see my Taiwan Studies page), a producer from the US who I had met from one of the students in the class. Tommie explained that he was planning to videotape the original stories of a particular Bunun family who had once lived in a remote jungle valley, high in the mountains of southern Taiwan.

They were among the last headhunters of the Formosan Aborigines.

The Bunun are one of the 16 indigenous groups recognized by the Taiwan government and have a rich history of living in the high-mountains.

The mountainous region of Laipunuk, pronounced Nei Ben Lu (內本鹿) in Chinese, was once a group of Bunun villages, and was among the last frontier areas to be annexed into Imperial Japan in Taiwan (see Maps below).

The remoteness of the region, coupled with the late arrival of Japanese forces, afforded the Bunun children of that time to have a traditional lifestyle and observe their indigenous way of life.

To learn more about this story, please visit my Taiwan Learning Adventure page.

In 2006, I earned my Master of Arts in Taiwan Studies, from National Chengchi University 國立政治大學 (NCCU). The research was based mainly on the translation of my ethnographic films from the Bunun language to English, and the interpretation of meaning and content. The abstract and full thesis are available below for English readers.

Thesis Title: Ethnohistorical Perspectives of the Bunun: A Case Study of Laipunuk, Taiwan [ 台灣原住民之民族史觀 : 以布農族內本鹿為例 ]

National Chengchi University (NCCU) | Institutional Repository | Author: Steven Andrew Martin 石倜文

Abstract

This thesis is a compilation of ethnographic narrative and ethnohistorical research in the form of a case study of the Bunun people of the Laipunuk geographic region of Taiwan. The research encompasses the life experiences of three members of the Istanda family, with cross verification of narrative history from extant documentation where possible. Informants were videotaped, audio taped, and where not possible, extensive and detailed notes were taken. Some informants also served as translators for others; one particularly valuable source is conversant in the Bunun language, Japanese, Chinese, and English, providing invaluable material and insight. This report begins with an overview of indigenous peoples, their prehistory, and their relationship with the greater Austronesian culture. This is followed by a brief survey of each indigenous culture’s social organization, with emphasis on the Bunun. Included is a political survey of major transformational and developmental periods in Taiwan’s history, beginning with the Dutch East India Company period, and ending with the modern Democratic Reform period. I have concluded, based on my extensive work with these indigenous peoples and my examination of available historical documentation, that Taiwan’s indigenous people have endured constant pressure from external forces and, as a direct result, have undergone acute social and cultural degradation from the loss of their native homelands. Nevertheless, vast knowledge is still available from elderly informants born into a relatively pristine Bunun culture. This knowledge contributes to the field of Taiwan Studies by providing an objective survey across the history of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, offering a view through a previously closed window into the richness of Taiwan’s full history. It is recommended that such studies continue and expand.

Keywords: Bunun, Laipunuk, Austronesian, Taiwan, ethnohistorical, indigenous

In 2011, I published a section of my MA thesis in the International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAPS), featuring the oral history of one of my informants, 84-year-old Langus Istanda. Born in 1926, Langus remembers the arrival of the Japanese police and experienced the forced extradition of her family from their region. Her childhood memories include stories of games, adventures, a safe and comfortable environment, and a sense of wonder for the modernity of the Japanese culture. She remembers the forced relocations and the period of illness and death of friends and relatives.

Abstract

The Bunun are one of the indigenous groups of Taiwan that have a rich history of living in the high-mountains. The region of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu) was once a group of mountain villages and among the last frontier areas to be annexed into Imperial Japan in Taiwan. The remoteness of the region, coupled with the late arrival of Japanese forces, afforded the Bunun children of that time to have a lifestyle, where they participated in and observed their indigenous way of life. This research is an oral ethnography of Langus Istanda, born in 1920, remembering firsthand the arrival of the Japanese police and experienced the forced extradition of her family from their region. The research finds that the informant’s childhood memories are generally positive, inasmuch as she tells stories of games, adventures, a safe and comfortable environment, and a sense of wonder for the modernity of the Japanese culture; yet her memories move to a negative tone regarding the forced relocations and the period of illness and death of friends and relatives. The research indicates that the Laipunuk Bunun have endured constant pressure from external forces and, as a direct result, have undergone acute social, cultural, and linguistic degradation from the loss of their native homelands. This study contributes to an understanding of the value of cultural resource management by providing an objective and comprehensive record for future generations; it opens a pathway to Laipunuk and Bunun epistemology in the English language. Ultimately, the study proved to be mutually beneficial to both researcher and participant, offering extensive source of information as well as a sense of reconciliation to the Bunun elders; it represents the resilience of Bunun heritage.

Keywords: Laipunuk, Bunun, Taiwan, Central Range, heritage, indigenous, oral ethnography

In 2011, I developed a section of my MA thesis for publication in the Journal of International Studies. Ethnohistorical methods served to conceptually reconstruct an abandoned Bunun house located in the remote mountains of southern Taiwan. The house was reconstructed in 2008 based on my 2005-2006 videotaped oral history of three informants, a 19-day expedition to the house site (see videos at the bottom of this page), and the development of drawing and architectural design videos.

Below, I have provided a some background and materials employed in the research.

Abstract

This study is the ethnography of three members of an indigenous Bunun family on Taiwan. In 1941, during the Japanese occupation era, the family was forced to abandon their home. The research moved to conceptually reconstruct their domicile through in-depth interviews followed by a 19-day mountaineering expedition to the remote village of Takivahlas in the Laipunuk region. The research reveals four stages of indigenous adaptation and reconstruction over time as access to knowledge and new resources became available. Ultimately, the study pinpoints the severity and outcome of foreign cultural incursion and sheds light on the cultural revival and homecoming of the Bunun with the house as a point of contact with the past; it serves to reconcile the past with the present to produce a lasting story and insight to Bunun epistemology and heritage for English readers.

Keywords: Taiwan aborigines, Austronesian, Bunun, Laipunuk, Ethnohistorical

2017 Book Chapter

Cultural continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), southern Taiwan (Ch. 8)

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2017). Cultural continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), southern Taiwan (Ch. 8) (pp. 215–246). In H. Chang and A. Mona [C. Tsai] (Eds.), Religion, law and state: Cultural re-invigoration in the new age. Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines and SMC: Taipei.

Abstract

Over the past century, the Bunun people, an Austronesian-speaking indigenous culture of Taiwan, have withstood acute marginalization resulting from outside incursion, particularly from the Japanese (1895–1945) and the Nationalist Government (since 1945). However, in recent years democratic reforms ushered in opportunities for cultural conservation and new sustainability through cultural resource management. This research is focused on a particular group of Is-bukun Bunun speakers from the high-mountain villages of Laipunuk, Yen-Ping Township, Taitung County, Southern Taiwan. It seeks to identify aspects of intersystem cultural continuum amidst acute social change induced by external pressures. The research employed the translation of rare Chinese documents and interpretation by scholars in the discipline, the recordation of oral history through video and audio devices, by in-depth interview, and through participant observation. The study found that the Bunun have demonstrated profound cultural resilience in the contexts of ritual dance, marriage, hunting, religion, and the identification of place. Cultural traditions and behaviors were often modified and adapted to fit within the cultural norms and expectations of dominant cultures, yet deep intrinsic meanings were carried forward, crossing spiritual and generational gaps. The research offers a window to Bunun epistemology and cultural systematics, exploring how indigenous peoples perpetuate their beliefs and values through internal cultural transformation; it serves to document the home-grown cultural resource management of a Taiwanese human treasure for English readers.

Keywords: Southern Taiwan, Bunun, Laipunuk, Formosan indigenous, Bunun Cultural and Educational Foundation, historical cultural continuum

2022 Journal of Ethnography (Sage)

A Taiwan knowledge keeper of indigenous Bunun – An ethnographic historical narrative of Laipunuk (內本鹿), southern mountain range

Martin, S. A. (2020). A Taiwan knowledge keeper of indigenous Bunun – An ethnographic historical narrative of Laipunuk (內本鹿), southern mountain range. Ethnography, 23(2) 153–180. doi.org/10.1177/1466138120937037

Abstract

This paper offers an ethnographic life history account of a Bunun hunter, Tama Biung Istanda, from Laipunuk, Taiwan, based on academic research and fieldwork. Audio-visual tapes recorded by the author in Taitung County, Taiwan, were reviewed and translated alongside extant Chinese, Japanese and English sources. The study constructs a remembered life into readable coherent sequences on behalf of an indigenous peoples, many of whom now seek international recognition as part of their struggle for essential entitlements such as land rights, access to traditional hunting grounds, and other natural, legal, and cultural resources. The testimony of Tama Biung Istanda, translated into English and summarised here for future generations, provides a compelling new source of data on the Bunun heritage that can help to assist knowledge for the local and scholarly community and cultural resource management practices.

Keywords: Bunun, ethnohistory, hunting, Japanese Colony of Taiwan, Laipunuk or Neibenlu (內本鹿), Taiwanese (Formosan) indigenous peoples

2022 Journal of Nationalism and Ethnic Politics

The last refuge and forced migration of a Taiwanese indigenous people during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan – An ethnohistory

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2022). The last refuge and forced migration of a Taiwanese indigenous people during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan – An ethnohistory. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 28(2) 206–231. doi.org/10.1080/13537113.2021.2011545.

Abstract

Through ethnohistorical studies, this paper explores social and political perspectives during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan which led to the forced resettlement of an entire indigenous society. Ethnographic life histories and translations of official Japanese police announcements are used to explore the 1941 Neibenlu (Laipunuk) Incident (內本鹿事件), a critical event in the oral history of the Bunun, a Taiwanese (Formosan) indigenous people of the southern mountains of Taiwan. We examine the reopening of Neibenlu’s Japanese mountain trail and its police stations offering new access to Bunun heritage to inform present and future generations. The study offers an innovative account of a neglected topic of indigenous resistance to imperialism, combining oral ethnography, and historical textual analysis.

Keywords: Bunun; forced migration; Japanese colonization of Taiwan; Laipunuk; Neibenlu (內本鹿); Taiwanese (Formosan) indigenous peoples

In 2005, as part of my coursework in Taiwan Studies, I made several films on the musical traditions of the Bunun based on audio-visual recordings made at the Bunun Cultural and Educational Foundation in Taidong, Taiwan.

Overview

As European powers contacted and influenced ethnolinguistic Austronesian-speaking groups in Southeast Asia, vocal folk songs were influenced by percussion instruments. In contrast, Taiwan aborigines held on to acappella traditions, and vocal music retained rich and complicated style and content.

Acappella styles range from the most primitive to the most complicated of all modern vocal music. With songs for nearly every occasion of life, content includes those for religious ceremonies, worship, nature, work and recreation.

Synopsis of the film

The Introduction is a newly created song for the kids to sing on the Bunun Buluo stage. The music was composed by Daganau, from the Paiwan and Rukai ethnic groups, and illustrates a variety of cultural influences. It is intended to be song by the younger generation, capturing the spirit of today’s young indigenous people and inspiring them to come together in harmony. The lyrics is Chinese and includes: “Come everyone sing… Join us to sing… May this never change… Black and white come together – no matter where you’re from – Taidong, Kaosiung… Think globally and act locally…”

Macilumaha. A newly created piece for the Bunun Buluo show. The very beginning of the song may be rooted in the Bunun tradition to call ahead to the village when returning from the hunt or from time away. In such case, the voice should be that of a familiar member of the village and signal that there is no reason for alarm.

Pasibutbut. Often called the "Harvest Prayer Song," it expresses hope for the millet to grow and provide a bountiful harvest. It features an 8-tone harmony in the chromatic style unique in the entire world. Good harmony is important for a good harvest. Today this song has evolved to represent good harmony for good luck. Gathered in a circle and holding hands, the group’s movement is counter-clockwise. According to one version of Bunun oral history, a long time ago a hunter went to the mountains and after hearing the sound of honey bees, he brought this sound home to his family group or clan.

Pisilaiya. Traditional hunting song. The music features the shaking of the reeds and is usually sung before the hunt. The music is used to worship the animal's spirits and calls them to come. The lyrics include… "May the cooked meat come to our basket…" and the performer calls the name of animals, such as goat, bear, deer, and flying squirrel.

Malastabang. Traditional Bunun announcement song or the “Report of events”. This ritual was originally used to announce the triumph or details of headhunting, as if a forum for bragging rights. During the Japanese period, when headhunting was outlawed, the significance changed to focus only on the events of hunting animals, such as how, when, where, or how many animals were killed. During the Kuomintang period, hunting was outlawed and the song fell into decline. Today, the Bunun are allowed to return to various mountain areas, and the ritual has evolved to report the events of exploring ancestral villages and tribal mapping.

Featured in this video, a young man announces which village he has actually returned to in recent years. Before drinking from the gourd, three drops of millet wine are sprinkled as an offering to heaven, earth, and spirit. The report is traditionally done by men, and when announcements or actions are favorable, his wife will enter the circle and dance to show her support.

Malastabang is also a method of identification when clans came together, revealing who you are, where you’re from, and serves as an indication of eligibility for marriage. For example, the performer states: “Taki-Luvun” meaning his mother’s clan came from "Luvun".

Bibliography | Papers and proceedings

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2022). The last refuge and forced migration of a Taiwanese indigenous people during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan – An ethnohistory. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 28(2) 206–231. doi.org/10.1080/13537113.2021.2011545.

Martin, S. A. (2022). A Taiwan knowledge keeper of indigenous Bunun – An ethnographic historical narrative of Laipunuk (內本鹿), southern mountain range. Ethnography, 23(2)153–180. doi.org/10.1177/1466138120937037

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2017). Cultural continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), southern Taiwan (pp. 215–246) (Chapter 8). In H. Chang and A. Mona [C. Tsai] (Eds.), Religion, law and state: Cultural re-invigoration in the new age. Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines and SMC: Taipei.

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2014). A new trial for the journey home to the Bunun villages of old Laipunuk, Taiwan: Contextualizing island Formosa through cultural heritage, digital mapping, and museology. Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous peoples: Contemporary Perspectives (p. 89). Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, September 15–17.

Martin, S. A. (2011). Rebuilding mama’s house—An ethnohistorical reconstruction and homecoming of the Bunun on Taiwan. Journal of International Studies, 1(2) 61–78.

Martin, S. A. (2010). Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu)—The last frontier of the Bunun during the Japanese occupation on Taiwan: Ethnographic narratives of an Isbukun elder. Scholarly presentation [PowerPoint]. 3rd Annual PSU Phuket Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development. Nov. 17–19. Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand.

Publications

Beginning with my first study abroad program in 1995, I wrote journals and took photographs of places I visited and people I met.

Later, I found these very useful in travel writing, coursework essays, and research scholarship.

Since then I have published over 50 articles and papers, ranging from articles in newspapers and magazines to post-graduate theses and research publications in peer-reviewed journals.

For more information about my ongoing research and publication, please visit Surf Tourism Research and Taiwan Ethnographic Research pages.

Refereed Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers

Martin, S. A. (2011). Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu)—The last frontier of the Taiwan aborigines during the Japanese occupation on Taiwan: Ethnographic narratives of a Bunun elder. The International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAPS), 7(1) 123–142. ijaps.usm.my/?page_id=508

Martin, S. A. (2011). Rebuilding mama’s house—An ethnohistorical reconstruction and homecoming of the Bunun on Taiwan. Journal of International Studies, 1(2) 61–78. jis.fis.psu.ac.th/images/jis_file/-JIS_Vol1_No2/JIS_Vol.1_No.2_6.pdf

Martin, S. A. (2022). From shades of grey to Web of Science: A systematic review of surf tourism research in international journals (2011-2020). Journal of Sport & Tourism, 26(2) 125–146. doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2022.2037453

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2011). Beach and coastal survey of Thailand: What future for surf tourism. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts, 3(1) 77–87. ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/44409/

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). The genesis of a new body of sport tourism literature: A systematic review of surf tourism research (1997-2011). Journal of Sport and Tourism, 17(4) 257–287. doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2013.766528

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2014). Developing a surf resource sustainability index as a global model for surf beach conservation and tourism research. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(7) 760–792. doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2013.806942

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2014). Investigating the importance of surf resource sustainability indicators: Stakeholder perspectives for surf tourism planning and development. Tourism Planning and Development, 11(2) 127–148. doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2013.864990

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2015). Measuring the conservation aptitude of surf beaches in Phuket, Thailand: An application of the surf resource sustainability index. International Journal of Tourism Research, 17(2) 105–117. doi.org/10.1002/jtr.1961

Martin, S. A., & Ritchie, R. J. (2019). A social science index and conceptual framework for assigning weights in surf tourism planning and development. Tourism Planning and Development, 16(3) 281–303. doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2018.1470999

Martin, S. A., & Ritchie, R. J. (2020). Sourcing Thai geography literature for ASEAN and international education. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 41(1) 61–85. doi.org/10.1111/sjtg.12296

Reangvaranont, M., & Martin, S. A. (2013). A Comparative study on the learning experiences and learning style preferences of Thai and British postgraduate students at a United Kingdom university. Journal of International Studies, 3(2) 15–25. jis.fis.psu.ac.th/images/jis_file/-JIS_Vol3_No2/VOL_3_NO_2_2.pdf

Book Chapters

Martin, S. A., & O'Brien, D. (2017). Part 2: A systems approach – Chapter 2. Surf resource system boundaries. In G. Borne and J. Ponting (Eds.), Sustainable surfing (pp. 23–38). Routledge.

Theses

Martin, S. A. (2006). Ethnohistorical perspectives among the Bunun: A case study of Laipunuk, Taiwan. Master’s thesis. National Cheng-Chi University, Taipei, ROC. [+2 publications in peer-reviewed journals].

Martin, S. A. (2010). Coastal resource assessment for surf tourism in Thailand. Master’s thesis. Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand. [+1 publication in a peer-reviewed journal]

Martin, S. A. (2013). A surf resource sustainability index for surf site conservation and tourism management. Ph.D. dissertation. Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand. [+3 publications in peer-reviewed journals].

Conferences and Proceedings

Martin, S. A. (2009). Rethinking the monsoon: Sustainable surf tourism in Thailand. Paper presented at the International Tourism Conference on Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism Management: Beyond the Global Recession. Silpakon University, Bangkok, Thailand, May 14–15.

Martin, S. A. (2010). Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu)—The last frontier of the Bunun during the Japanese occupation on Taiwan: Ethnographic narratives of an Isbukun elder. Scholarly presentation [PowerPoint]. 3rd Annual PSU Phuket Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development. Nov. 17–19. Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand.

Martin, S. A. (2010). The conservation of coastal surfing resources in Thailand: The Andaman Sea. Proceedings of the International Conference on the Environment and Natural Resources (ICENR) 2010 – The Changing Environment: Challenges for Society (pp. 262–280), Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Bangkok, Thailand, November 10–12.

Martin, S. A. (2011). Music, marriage and adaptation among the Bunun from lost Laipunuk, southern Taiwan. CD Proceedings of the 4th Annual PSU Research Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development (p. 46). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, November 16–18.

Martin, S. A. (2013). Surf tourism and resource sustainability in Phuket, Thailand. Scholarly presentation [PowerPoint]. Global Surf Cities Conference: Destination Innovation Collaboration, Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre, Gold Coast, QLD, February 28 – March 1. Gold Coast: Gold Coast Surf City, Inc.

Martin, S. A. (2013). The surf resource sustainability index and Thailand case trial. Scholarly presentation [PowerPoint]. Global Surf Cities Conference: Destination Innovation Collaboration, Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre, Gold Coast, QLD, February 28 – March 1. Gold Coast: Gold Coast Surf City, Inc.

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2008). Beach and coastal survey: What future for surf tourism. CD Proceedings of the 7^th Asia Pacific Forum for Graduate Students’ Research in Tourism: Advances in Tourism Practices: Pointing the Way Forward (p. 12). University Teknologi Mara, Selangor, Malaysia, June 3–5.

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2008). Interdisciplinary approaches toward sustainable surf tourism in Thailand. Paper presented at the 1st PSU Sustainability Conference. Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus, Thailand, November 19–21.

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2011). A statistical analysis of surf tourism research literature. CD Proceedings of the 4th Annual PSU Research Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development (p. 57). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, November 16–18.

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). Measuring the importance of social, economic, environmental and governance indicators for the surf resource sustainability index. Proceedings of the 1st Annual PSU Phuket International Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development (p. 51). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, January 10–12, 2013.

Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). Towards a surf resource sustainability index: A global model for surf site conservation and Thailand case study. Proceedings of the 18th Asia Pacific Tourism Association Annual Conference (APTA) Hospitality & Tourism Education: New Tourism & New Waves (pp. 745–760). Taipei, ROC, June 26–29. Busan, Korea: School of International Tourism, Dong-A University. [+ best paper award]

Martin, S. A., & Blundell, D. (2014). Contextualizing island Formosa through cultural heritage, digital mapping, and museology: A new trial for the journey home to the Bunun villages of old Laipunuk, Taiwan. Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous peoples: Contemporary Perspectives (p. 89). Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, September 15–17.

Martin, S. A., Assenov, I., & Ritchie, R. (2014). Towards a social science index and conceptual framework for assigning weights in sustainability research. Proceedings of the 3rd Annual PSU Phuket International Conference: Multidisciplinary Studies on Sustainable Development (p. 70). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, November 13–14. [+ best paper award]

Martin, S. A., & Ritchie, R. (2018). Towards an ASEAN community: A scoping study and case for teaching the geography of Thailand in the English language. Proceedings of the PSU Phuket International Conference 50th Anniversary Celebration: Creativity and Innovations for Global Development (p. 54). Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand, March 11–12.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Los Angeles

Distinguished Taiwan Alumni Award Nomination 2018

全球留臺傑出校友獎選拔作業推薦表

Taiwan Ministry of Education

Achievements Highlights

Steven A. Martin, Ph.D.

Steven’s outstanding achievements following his scholarship in the Taiwan Studies program at National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Further ethnographic research at Academia Sinica

Experiences in Taiwan Studies and Steven’s development through the years

Academic Publications and proceedings in Taiwan Studies

Taiwan Scholarship Program | Taiwan Studies Graduate Alumni Friends |Steven and Chris in Phuket, Thailand

Asst Professor Dr Steven A Martin

AMONG THE HEADHUNTERS OF LAIPUNUK 內本鹿 LAST REFUGE OF THE TAIWAN ABORIGINES

Rare 1932 photo of a young Bunun couple in Laipunuk 內本鹿 Nei Ben Lu, Taiwan

How it began

Interview set up | Bunun Educational and Cultural Foundation in Taitung, Taiwan | Tommie Williamson (1955-2017), left, and Langus and Nabu Istanda, right

My first film project

2004 | In Our Hearts and Minds | Taiwan Studies

Cornerstone webpages and photos

The Bunun and Laipunuk

Tama Biung Istanda (1917-2007) Bunun Culture, Taiwan | Key Informant for the Laipunuk 內本鹿 Nei Ben Lu Ethnographic Research Project

Interview with Tama Biung Istanda 1917-2007 | Bunun Educational and Cultural Foundation | Taitung, Taiwan

The region of Laipunuk 內本鹿 Taiwan | Among the last frontier areas to be annexed into Imperial Japan © Steven Martin

Laipunuk 內本鹿 Map showing the Japanese trail and police stations, and our 2006 cross-island expedition © Steven Martin

2006 Master of Arts in Taiwan Studies

Field research in Laipunuk during the 2005 expedition

2011 International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies | The Last Frontier of the Taiwan Aborigines

Oral history of Langus Istanda | Ethnographic narrative

2011 Journal of International Studies | Rebuilding A Bunun House

2006 Takivahlas Bunun House Site | 1,365 meters above sea level

1. Original kalabatune bark house

2. Tagnas reeds reconstruction

3. Slate house reconstruction with window

Mama's Laipunuk house floor plan based on site visit and interviews

Ethnohistorical house reconstruction 1

Ethnohistorical house reconstruction 2

Mama's house reconstructed in 2008 based on the research

Biung Istanda (1917–2007)

Langus Istanda (1926 – 2015)

Nabu Istanda (1964 – )

2017 Book Chapter

Cultural continuum among the Bunun of Laipunuk (Nei Ben Lu), southern Taiwan (Ch. 8)

2022 Journal of Ethnography (Sage)

A Taiwan knowledge keeper of indigenous Bunun – An ethnographic historical narrative of Laipunuk (內本鹿), southern mountain range

2022 Journal of Nationalism and Ethnic Politics

The last refuge and forced migration of a Taiwanese indigenous people during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan – An ethnohistory

DVD | Indigenous Music of Taiwan

Indigenous Music of Taiwan | Part 1

Indigenous Music of Taiwan | Part 2

Laipunuk Field Research Videos

Clip 00:21 | Crossing a stream near Shou, Laipunuk (內本鹿)

Clip 00:19 | Crossing a landslide near Madaipulan, Laipunuk (內本鹿)

Expedition Video | 07:31 | Laipunuk 內本鹿 2006 | Takivhalas, Laipunuk, to Ten Thousand Mountain God Lake, Central Range

Thank you for visiting my Ethnographic Research page.

I hope you enjoy the photos and the information in the links provided. If you feel motivated to learn more about my experience in ethnographic film or Taiwan Studies, or would like to arrange for me to give a public presentation, please let me know – I’d love to hear from you.

Cornerstone webpages and photos

Bibliography | Papers and proceedings

Asst Professor Dr Steven A Martin

PUBLICATIONS AND PROCEEDINGS

Refereed Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers

Book Chapters

Scholarly Articles

Theses

Conferences and Proceedings

Other Articles

Thank you for visiting my Publications Page.