Taiwan’s ‘rock star’ tribal folk share same ancestry with Filipinos

Currently, there are 16 recognized indigenous groups residing in 55 townships and cities across Taiwan, some just recently revived because of government’s efforts to revitalize the ethnic culture.

Officials say this number may reach up to 20 more in the coming years, as many currently included as subgroups in existing tribes are still expected to be recognized as distinct groups soon.

Through the CIP, a department-level government agency led by tribal leaders, Taiwan invests $7 billion (Taiwanese dollars) or about P9.8 billion annually to protect, preserve and promote its indigenous culture.

This amount is nearly P3 billion larger than the Philippines’ Department of National Defense’s total budget to modernize the military this year.

Such funding provides tailor-made services to indigenous folk: an education system that helps preserve tribal languages, traditions and food culture, provide special care for senior citizens and children, subsidies for indigenous entrepreneurs in the creative industries, infrastructure projects to connect tribal villages to main roads, land use planning and safe housing, among others.

“Years ago, people denied that they were indigenous. Now, everybody says they are indigenous,” said Kung Wei-chi, a Taiwanese legislator, said in half-jest before an international group of visiting journalists about benefits and social services that the government provides to ethnic groups.

“Before, our indigenous peoples were very shy. But they have regained their self-confidence now,” said Lee Jack Kuo-jung, Counselor on Home Assignment at the Department of International Services of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A 1990 Constitutional amendment also officially mandated the term “original inhabitants” as the official name for Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, serving to uplift the lot of the ethnic population.

Before this change, Taiwan’s indigenous tribes were called “mountain people,” a reference which the ethnic folk considered derogatory, leading them to mostly keep to themselves.

They were also previously required to strictly use a Chinese name instead of their birth names on official documents. Indigenous peoples are now allowed to write their tribal names the way they are spelled in the Roman (or modern) alphabet.

“In the very early period, actually the government didn’t pay attention to Taiwan indigenous peoples because they were trying to govern as one nation, one people. But then in 1970s, we fought for our right,” said Calivat Gadu, Deputy Minister at the CIP.

“We need to fight for our own rights. We cannot get our rights just by [depending on other] people. We need to fight for ourselves,” he added, speaking through an interpreter.

Taiwan hosted 12 journalists from Pacific countries on a seven-day reporting tour across the island from March 5 to 11. Invited were representatives from the Philippines (the Inquirer), Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

The visit took the group on a trip to immerse in Taiwan’s indigenous culture, traveling from Taipei, through the famed Alishan mountain in the southern city of Chiayi, further down to Kaohsiung City, to the Taitung and Hualien counties in Taiwan’s eastern coast, and then back to Taipei in the north.

RELATED STORIES

Who is the Filipino? genome expert asks

Now, Taiwanese show they care about Filipinos