the indigenous tao aborigines on orchid island, taiwan still live with the controversial issue of nuclear waste imposed on them with out their permission or consent over 30 years ago.
Fresh fish hung in the morning to dry overnight on Orchid Island, Taiwan. Dried fish are a staple of the Tao aboriginal diet. Residents worry about possible radioactive contamination in the surrounding waters and seafood.
Sunrise from Dong Qing Village on Orchid Island.
A mid-morning game of go in the Tao aboriginal village of Badai in Orchid Island, Taiwan.
Huang Ying Chu, a Tao aborigine and former social worker, is an outspoken advocate for the removal of the nuclear waste site on Orchid Island, Taiwan. The Tao have been fighting for the removal of nuclear waste on the Island for over 30 years.
The Tao residents gather and wait outside the community center for the start of of the annual Tao singing competition hosted by TaiPower, the state agency managing the nuclear waste on Orchid Island, Taiwan. All attendants receive a small gifts on behalf of the energy agency for the event.
A mural depicting traditional Tao aboriginal motifs and their struggle with nuclear waste on Orchid Island, Taiwan. The Taiwanese government built a nuclear waste disposal site on the Island without the awarness or consent of the indigenous people in 1982.
A wooden figurine of a traditional Tao canoe on Orchid Island, Taiwan.
Taiwanese visitors take in the scenery on Orchid Island, Taiwan. The small island off the Southeast coast of mainland Taiwan is a popular vacation destination for beachgoers and scuba diving.
Tao elders perform a traditional song at the annual community singing competition. Cash prizes are awarded and contestants are judged by an “American Idol” style panel.
A Taiwanese vacationer takes photos of the sunrise on Orchid Island as a Tao resident sleeps on the beach veranda. Tourism is the only economy on the tiny 17 square mile island.
howard hsu / photographer 