For more information on this monthly-series, please be sure to read the original post, published on August 25, in the Parent Post, written by E-chieh Lin, the Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing.
This month we celebrate Indigenous Heritage Month. I thought more about how we can honor and recognize Indigenous peoples of both Taiwan and the United States where there are tribes that are federally recognized and others not. In order to honor and recognize Indigenous People, we must first educate ourselves about history of Indigenous People – Indigenous history before colonization, the genocide during colonization, forced assimilation, erasure, the racist policies that perpetuate inequitable systems to suppress Indigenous Peoples, as well as honoring the achievements and success of Indigenous Peoples. My hope is that this can help jumpstart your interest in learning more about the people who have watched over our lands.
In Taiwan, there are 16 officially recognized Indigenous groups. Taiwan’s constitution guarantees political representation for Indigenous Peoples, with six current indigenous legislators of 113 seats (5%) in the national parliament, and indigenous representation is also guaranteed at the local government level for the six main cities and Many municipal councils. There are at least 10 Pingpu Indigenous Peoples who have been denied official recognition. The ten unrecognized peoples are: Babuza, Hoanya, Kaxabu, Ketagalan, Makatao, Papora, Pazeh, Siraya, Taokas, and Tavorlong. Lack of official recognition means that the Pingpu Indigenous groups do not have the same rights. For example, they do not have representation at all levels of government, from parliament to central government's Council of Indigenous Peoples’ and municipal governments, city and county councillors, local district and township representatives, as well as being excluded from the Council of Indigenous Peoples’ (CIP) policies and programs.
As of March 2023, there are 574 Indigenous tribes officially recognized by the United States. There are, however, more than 574 Indigenous tribes in the United States. Many tribes have not been federally recognized and cannot access federal funding. Federal recognition gives tribes the right to govern themselves, their lands, and their people. Federally recognized tribes are independent nations with the right to form their own governments, adjudicate legal cases, levy taxes within its borders, establish membership, and more. The federal government has a trust responsibility to protect tribal lands, assets, resources, and treaty rights. Although recognized Indigenous tribes are independent nations, Native Americans are subject to federal income taxes. Federal recognition also gives tribes the rights to access federal funding and access to human services.
The history of many indigenous cultures revolves around oral traditions. Written history is often considered more accurate by most people because of the ways we have been socialized to learn. As Waziyatawin, professor of Indigenous history at the University of Victoria, says, “The fundamental difference between academic Native American History and Native American History from the native perspective is the medium through which history is interpreted.” Our colonized and socialized understanding of history means that we generally mistrust the oratorical traditions because they are not validated by written sources. Oratorical traditions are through the perspective of those who lived it. Memoirs are oral histories in a written format. For those who prefer to learn about history from a first-person perspective there are a number of universities that offer transcripts of Native American oral history projects and Tedx talks from Native Americans about their history. For example, the Doris Duke Collection at the University of Oklahoma, The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida, and TEDx talk by Larry Cesspooch Ute Wisdom, Language, and Creation Story. For those that prefer an academic history in the format of a written document, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, is a wealth of indigenous history that we have not learned though our history courses.
As you think about honoring Native American Heritage month, take the time to learn more about the history and current experiences of the first people who inhabited Taiwan and the United States.