Because the young men were mostly away hunting, leaving only the women and small children at home, it was easier for the women to guard against suspicious-looking strangers in dwellings of this type. "This may be why the Rukai, who are small in numbers, could survive amidst powerful neighbors," opines Auvini.
從防禦的觀點來看，由於男性多出外工作打獵，家中多為婦孺，若有不懷好意的陌生人進來，婦女在這種建築裡較易防禦入侵者，「或許這也就是為什麼魯凱族的人數這麼少，卻能在強鄰環伺的環境中生存下來」，歐威尼說。