From left to right: Tony's great great grandaunt, Tony Coolidge and Mr. Lin Hong-Long.

In Wulai, we stopped by the residence of my great uncle, Mr. Lin, Hong-Long. He is a well-respected leader in the community, and was once mayor and congressman. Our goal was to have a chance to capture an interview on video with my great great grandaunt, who was a 92 year-old Atayal woman who still had her tribal tattoo. There were not many women alive who still had Atayal tattoos, so I relished this opportunity.

Through the help of my two translators, Mr. Lin and Shu-min, I was able to get a glimpse of what tribal life was like over 70 years ago. I was touched by her answers the clarity of her memory. What touched me the most is that after asking her her what she would do if she had her health, she replied, "I would like to teach people about the real Atayal culture so that it won't disappear."