The Tao (Chinese: 達悟族; pinyin: Dáwù zú; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ta̍t-ngō͘-cho̍k), originally recognized as Yami (雅美), are a Taiwanese aboriginal people, native to tiny outlying Orchid Island in Taiwan. The Tao are an Austronesian people linguistically and culturally closer to the Ivatan people of the Batanes islands in the Philippines than to other aboriginal peoples on the main island of Taiwan. The word "Tao" (pronounced Ta-o) means "person" or "people" in both the Tao language and all Philippine languages. The Tao people are traditionally good at making balangays (native canoes), which is a symbol of their tribe.
In the year 2000 the Yami numbered 3,872. This was approximately 1% of Taiwan's total indigenous population.[1]
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The Yami people—some 3,000 inhabitants of Irala (Orchard Island) south of Taiwan—rely on flying fish they catch during the summers as a major source of food year-round. The Yami language includes names for about 450 species of fish. Their fish taxonomy distinguishes edible fish (ovod a among) from inedible fish (maharet a among). These are subdivided into fish forbidden for men or forbidden for women. Pregnant women may only eat four species of fish, and the elderly consume only other species. The Yami language transmits this rich culinary and cultural knowledge of fish.
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