Taiwan Provincial Mountain Area Development Association

In March 1948, the Department of Mountain Area Administration was established by the Provincial Civil Affairs Department, facilitating the mountain area affairs. On November 2, Losin Watan founded the “Taiwan Provincial Mountain Area Development Association,” with Wang Cheng-chang, the director of the Police Department of Taiwan Provincial Government, serving as the chairperson. This arrangement also reflected the government’s concerns. The directors of the association included Sising Katadrepan (Nan Chih-hsin), Kavak Roishazan (Hua Ching-chi), Losin Watan, and Uong'e Yatauyungana, with Yu Chung-chien and Lin Kuei-chun, among others, serving as supervisors. The organization was renamed as “Association of Taiwan Indigenous People’s Development” in 1994 and “Taiwan Indigenous People’s Development Association” in 2009.

Establishment and Dissolution of the Welfare Company

In March 1949, Taiwan Mountain Areas Welfare Development Company was formed and funded by Sising Katadrepan (Nan Chih-hsin), Kavak Roishazan (Hua Ching-chi), Losin Watan, Uong'e Yatauyungana and Yu Chung-chien, in an attempt to supply the livelihood necessities for mountain areas, along with to manage and enhance mountain area products as well as agriculture and forestry industries.

However, with the dissolution of the Department of Mountain Area Administration in April, 1949, the mountain area affairs were appointed to different administrative organizations. In May, the Guidance Section of Mountain Area Administration was established to faciliate the affairs, but with limited enforement of the policies. Furthermore, the merchants from plain areas whose profits were affected by the organization began to attack with poison-pen letters. The Civil Affairs Department thus commanded that the Indigenous staff was not allowed to relate themselves to the company. This caused great misunderstading among Indigenous people and regular staff, who did not dare to offer any assistance, thereby hindering the development of the company.

In November, the company was dissolved. On January 20, 1950, the Taiwan Provincial Supply and Marketing of Mountain Area Materials Committee was established, with Sising Katadrepan serving as chairperson; Kavak Roishazan and Wang Cheng-chang as members of standing committee; and Losin Watan, Uong'e Yatauyungana and Yu Chung-chien as committee members. However, the committee was also dissolved in the beginning of 1952 because of unsatisfactory operations.

On February 28, 1950, the Highland Hall (currently Tian Ran Tai Hunan Cuisine Restaurant on the Roosevelt Road, Taipei City) was established, and was used to accommodate the Taiwan Provincial Mountain Area Development Association and Taiwan Provincial Supply and Marketing of Mountain Area Materials Committee. The third from the left sitting in the front row was Losin Watan; the fourth from the right in the front row Wang Cheng-chang (director of the Police Department of Taiwan Provincial Government at the time. He was also the former director of Department of Mountain Area Administration and the chaiperson of Taiwan Provincial Mountain Area Development Association), and the third from the right Sising Katadrepan (Nan Chih-hsin).Courtesy of Nan Tien-chueh (the youngest son of Sising Katadrepan).