Lacking a script, the Taiwanese aborigines did not write their own histories. Extant histories of the Taiwanese aborigines are fragmentary and written in the languages of their oppressors. How, then, do we study the histories of the silenced? Who other than the aborigines themselves is authorized to speak on behalf of these people, and more importantly, in what ways? I argue that it is possible, but difficult, to write unsullied histories of the Taiwanese aborigines that do not serve presentist goals. In my senior essay, I examine Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese colonial sources, as well as contemporary Taiwanese and American sources. Using the theories and methodologies of Edward Said and Eric R. Wolf, I identify the biases of these sources and show how they often tell more about their authors than about their subjects. I conclude that while large gaps still remain and some may never be filled, a measured, cautious approach that includes critical analysis of interdisciplinary sources might yield the most promising histories of the Taiwanese aborigines.