來自南王部落的BaLiwakes陸森寶（1910－1988）在日治時期出生，並在接受日本的現代教育之後，成為學校教師，教授體育、音樂科目，並持續到戰後才退休。藉由陸森寶留下的歌謠與自傳手稿，我們得以一窺日治時期知識分子的思辨與生存圖像。本文試圖回顧日治時期到戰後國民黨政權這個時間跨幅裡，卑南平原上多元族群共存的語言交混樣態，並重新梳理陸森寶知識養成的背景及其歌謠作品，指出這些形式、語言、旋律等面向的多重混雜，是由怎麼樣的歷史因素、殖民主義以及知識／權力參與其中；同時透過考究陸森寶創作〈卑南王〉此歌謠借用自美國民謠〈老黑爵〉的旋律，探討此歌謠傳播的路徑，應重新放在美／日／中國際關係及冷戰結構的背景下討論。最後嘗試以陸森寶用歌謠保存自己族群語言及文化的行動，勾勒出經歷語言斷裂及跨語世代的原住民知識分子，如何在時代的政權糾葛以及語言漩渦中，嘗試為自己，也為族群安放一個得以看見未來的座標。

BaLiwakes (1910-1988), a member of the Puyuma (Nanwang) Community, was born during the Japanese colonial period and received a modern education under Japanese rule. He became a school teacher and taught subjects such as physical education and music until his retirement after World War II. The folk songs and autobiographical manuscripts left by BaLiwakes provide valuable insight into the intellectual reflections and survival strategies of the educated class during the Japanese colonial era. This article examines the linguistic hybridity among diverse ethnic groups on the Beinan Plain that existed during the Japanese colonial period and continued under Kuomintang rule as it reassesses BaLiwakes's background of knowledge and his contributions to folk song composition. It highlights the amalgamation of various forms, languages, melodies, and other elements, exploring the historical factors, colonialism, and power dynamics involved. Additionally, by through a close analysis centered on BaLiwakes's creation of the folk song “Penanwang”, which borrows its melody from the American folk song “Old Black Joe,” the article discusses the pathways through which the song is disseminated, placing it within the context of international relations and the Cold War structure that encompasses the United States, Japan, and China. Finally, it discusses how BaLiwakes, an Indigenous intellectual who experienced language fragmentation and intergenerational language shifts, sought to preserve his ethnic language and culture through folk songs. It unravels the challenges of navigating political entanglements and linguistic complexities with the ultimate aim of creating a compass that can empower indigenous peoples to envision the future.