[ 摘要 ]

長期停留在一個小聚落中從事田野調查工作，是當代人類學最常使用的研究方法。不過，除了在聚落中進行的研究主題之外，聚落本身應該也是個研究時必須正視的課題。在臺灣有許多的南島語族，當地居民群居的聚落就是所謂的「部落」。本文以卑南族巴布麓聚落為例，試圖探討究竟「部落」在當地人的心目中是一種什麼樣的概念。

首先筆者在文獻回顧中引用既有的研究成果，說明卑南人的bini（種子，尤指小米）觀念及家戶與家系的構成。之後分別敘述巴布麓卑南人的社會生活及其聚落形成的歷史脈絡，藉此理解及解釋「部落」的發展過程及現況，並說明「部落」可能是會隨著實際的情境而變化及發展。接下來則討論歲時祭儀及其隱含的象徵意義，並說明大獵祭儀式如何跨越bini及家系之間的異質性，並建構出巴布麓卑南人的「部落」觀念。

在結論中，筆者認為卑南人的「部落」觀念是一套具有彈性的機制，不但可整合內部的差異與衝突，也可能藉此納入或銜接外部的變化。因此「部落」本身也是一個不斷銜接及轉換內外差異並持續擴展的過程。

[ 英文摘要 ]

The most commonly used research technique of the contemporary anthropology is to stay in a small settlement engaged in the field investigation. Nevertheless, apart from researches which carry on in the settlement, settlement itself should also be a subject to face up. For many Austronesian in Taiwan, the settlement which the local residents live in groups is the so–called tribe. This article takes a Puyuma settlement as an example, attempting to discuss the concept of tribe in native’s mind.

First of all, we elaborate the bini idea with the construction of family and genealogy by Puyuma. By revealing the symbolic meaning of annual sacrificial offering, we illustrate how the native come up with the idea of tribe through blood relations and geographic connections. Moreover, the concept of tribe could be developed and transformed depending on actual situations as we apply the cultural view to historical events. In retrospection, we illustrate the developing process and present situation of tribes.

From what has been discussed above, we may draw the conclusion that Puyuma’s tribe concept is a set of flexible mechanism, not only integrate the interior diversity or confrontation, but also take advantage of itself to adapt the exterior changes. Therefore, tribe itself is an unceasing developing process of linking up and transforming the difference from the outside.