民國49年9月，我自美返國，頭一件事便是接受主持「南澳泰雅族研究計劃」的田野調查工作；從那個時候開始，將近三年的時間，都一直繼續執行這一計劃的工作。「南澳泰雅族研究計劃」是原由本所所長凌純聲教授所規劃，在中國東亞學術研究計劃委員會與哈佛燕京學社贊助下舉行的一個「集體訓練計劃」；計劃的目的，一方面是調查研究居住於南澳的泰雅族人，另一方面則為訓練較年輕的田野工作者。調查工作實際上開始於民國49年7月（當時筆者尚未返國），一直到本年6月才結束；我們的調查大多利用寒假及暑假的期間，大致暑假工作二個月，寒假工作一個月。參加工作與訓練的人員，除筆者外，有石磊、徐人仁、宋龍生、阮昌銳、吳燕和與楊福發等六位，此外丘其謙、王崧興二先生亦曾短期間參加工作。在田野時，每一位工作者都有一定的調查項目，各自進行其項目的調查；自然我們在田野以及在研究室內，均曾經常交換意見和舉行座談會，以便解決共同的問題並整合不同的想法，本報告便是根據我們田野的調查以及研究討論的結果寫成的。

This report is based upon a number of field investigations among the Nan-ao Atayal, a group of aboriginal people in Taiwan, between the years 1960–1963. The report is divided into nine chapters, the first five chapters constitute the present volume, and the last four form the second volume. The content of the text can be listed briefly as follows: chapter one, Introduction, deals with the ecological setting, the history and settlements, the Chinese in the vicinity and the population and family types of the people. Chapter two, Socialization Process, describes the process of becoming the Atayal from early childhood through adult life. Chapter three, Social Groupings, discusses social groups such as kin unit, village and inter-village organization. Chapter four, Institutions and Norms, reports kinship terminology, marriage, cooperation and division of labor, property, social norms and social control of the people. Chapter five, Supernatural Beliefs and practices, deals with people's myths, legends, world view and their ritual behavior. Chapter six, Material Culture, records their clothing, ornaments, food and diet, housing, weaving, technology, transportation, games and pastimes. Chapter seven, Economic Life, reports agricultural methods, hunting techniques and other means of obtaining food, the structure of economy being also delineated. Chapter eight, collects eight biographies of representatives of the people including a village chief, old tribal men and women, young farmers and a house wife. Chapter nine, Conclusion, delineates the changing aspects of the culture, and several hypotheses are advanced to account for the trend of the changes.

The first chapter of this volume concerns material culture. In this chapter we have described such items as clothing, ornaments, tattooing, food and diet, housing, weaving, technology, transportation and amusement. We shall summarize here only some of the important features. The technological level of the Atayal is in general similar to that of other aboriginal tribes of Taiwan. They did not have any knowledge about metallurgy and know very little about manufacturing metals. Basketry is an old technique, they master most of the basket weaving methods which are common to all the aboriginal tribes. But the Atayal is the only group among various tribes who did not possess the technique of making pottery. They use gourd and bamboo instead of earthenware as vessels and containers.