Futuru C.L. Tsai

My research interests include maritime anthropology, visual anthropology, historical anthropology, ritual and performance, Indigenous war experiences during the Pacific War (with a particular focus on Papua New Guinea, 1943–1945), Indigenous social movements, and human–ocean relations, with long-term ethnographic research among the ‘Amis people of eastern Taiwan. I am the author of the academic monograph Beyond The Fifth Wave, which examines ‘Amis maritime life, coastal knowledge, and Indigenous ocean epistemologies.

In addition to academic writing, I have published two books for general readers on anthropology and Indigenous war experiences in Papua New Guinea, and have directed several award-winning documentary films. My recent documentary work continues to explore embodied maritime knowledge, and I am currently producing a film entitled Breathing Between, focusing on underwater spearfishing practices among ‘Amis Indigenous men in eastern Taiwan.

Since 1 August 2024, I have been seconded to serve as Director of the National Museum of Prehistory, Taiwan, where my current work engages with museum transformation, community-based research, decolonial curatorial practice, and the integration of anthropological research, and public engagement.