Taiwan’s Pingpu people possessed their own cultures and social structures. As they encountered various groups, such as Han Chinese, local governments, and missionaries from Europe and North America, each tribe had a different experience and development trajectory. Some groups worked closely with the government and were rewarded with military recognition or official posts. Other groups became indigenous proprietors who collected rents or invested in businesses like the Han Chinese. However, many indigenous groups struggled to make a living; they ended up migrating to places far from their homelands. The life stories of these indigenous groups show us the different strategies they employed in order to survive various eras and ordeals.