今日對「阿棉納納事件」的口傳內容，大多溯及林東涯，故本文以「林東涯 傳說」在異代間的變型做爲討論的主題。値得注意的是，林東涯的通事身分在傳 說中具有的重要分量。
晚淸臺灣r番地」的主權歸屬問題，成爲日軍侵臺的口實；爲此，淸廷遂有 開發後山之舉，各路通事也隨軍入山招撫。林東涯當時原是隨同羅大春招撫北路， 但自晚淸以來的口傳，則已被移置於吳光亮的中路，甚至連名字也被替代。
林東涯其人，是到阿棉納納事件結束後才被追述起來的；就該事件中的林東 涯而言，晚淸的記載是語焉不詳的。至於把「林東涯之死」連接上此一事件的，則 是始於日治時期的伊能嘉矩，但也僅存在於「因阿美人不滿開官路而被殺」—— 他只是個被洩憤的對象而已。到了二次戰後，則由傳說轉型爲歷史記憶而獲得更 廣泛的流傳，並在接下來的傳說中，刻意地衍生出林東涯的惡行，這是後來甚至 將阿棉納納事件稱之爲「林東涯事件」的關鍵過程。
「林東涯傳說」之所以會產生這樣的變形，與晚淸通事所具有的官方性質有 關：晚淸後山的經營，雖是以勇營爲主力，然而眞正能代替勇營掌控各部落的則 是當地的通事。由於通事之任命權在營官，營官與通事的合作，即形成淸廷政權 在後山的權力結構，且以通事做爲部落中的政令宣達者。
考察今日的口傳內容，大港口阿美人如此抬高林東涯在事件中的分量，恰好 有力地說明了林東涯所擔任的「通事」一職，在晚淸後山的國家體制中所蘊含的意義。

Today most oral accounts of the “Ami Nana Incident” are traced to Lin Dong-ya, so this article will focus on transformations of the “legend of Lin Dong-ya” in different eras; in this it is worth noting that Lin’s role as translator plays a major part in this account.
In the late Qing, the issue of sovereignty over “aboriginal lands” provided an excuse for the Japanese Army to invade Taiwan; in response the Manchus decided to open up development of houshan 後山(beyond [the Imperial] Boundary), and translators followed the [Qing] army wherever it went. At that time Lin Dong-ya traveled with Luo Da-chun to accompany troops on the northern route. But accounts from the late Qing on place Lin Dong-ya with Wu Guang-liang on the central route, even substituting Lin’s name for others.
But Lin was pursued only after the Ami Nana Incident; so references to him in connection with the incident in the late Qing accounts are not detailed. Lin’s death was linked to the incident; beginning from the Ino Kanori era of Japanese rule, when he became an object of revenge, as preserved in the language “ [he was] killed because the Ami were angry about the development of the government road” After World War Two, this legend became historical memory and gained even greater popularity; in fact, in the received account Lin's evil behavior has been exaggerated and played up to the point where, in an important development, the Ami Nana Incident is now also referred to as the “Lin Dong-ya Incident.”
That the “Lin Dong-ya legend” underwent this kind of distortion is related to the official nature of translators in the late Qing. Late Qing enterprise in houshan was spearheaded by the military, but the people who really represented military control of the tribes were the local translators. Because the power to appoint them resided with military officials, the cooperation between translators and officials formed power structure of Qing authority in eastern Taiwan, with the translators acting as promulgators of edicts among the tribes.