Written by Yi-Yang Cheng, Ssu-Chieh Jessica Fan and Susan Hou.
Image Credit: North American Taiwan Studies Association.
This article is a summary of the plenary session of the same name at the 2023 North American Studies Association Conference.
Centring on Indigeneity in Taiwan, the interdisciplinary roundtable “Indigenous Taiwan through Critical Lenses: Comparative and Place-Based Perspectives” was the opening event at the 2023 North American Taiwan Studies Conference at the University of California, Irvine on June 22, 2023. The roundtable was moderated by Susan Yang-Hsun Hou (Learning Sciences and Human Development, University of Washington), co-organized by Dr Yi-Yang Cheng (Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara), Ssu-chieh Jessica Fan (Asian Studies, University of Texas at Austin), and Susan, and featured a lineup of prominent scholars, including Dr Jolan Hsieh (Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures, National Dong Hwa University), Dr Kyle Shernuk (Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, Georgetown University), Dr Shu-Yuan Yang (Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan), and Dr Meixi (Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota).
The roundtable conceptualized Taiwan as a grounding point for multiple geographical perspectives. Instead of positioning Taiwan as a boundary object between the East and the West, it prompted a fresh envisioning and repositioning of Taiwan as a liminal space of unbounded and interconnected possibilities. Put differently, the roundtable discussions explored alternative ways of positioning Taiwan in/and the world, including perspectives which might have previously been marginalized or eluded consideration.
To this end, it discussed Taiwan as a dynamic contact zone inscribed with multifarious intra- and inter-regional encounters, often in contexts of asymmetrical power relations. Specifically, the history of Indigenous peoples in Taiwan entails multifaceted interactions with colonialism and settler colonialism, which has resulted in the loss of land, language, identity, and cultural knowledge. The driving intention behind convening this interdisciplinary forum with Indigenous Taiwan at its core was to spark dialogues encompassing themes of (de)colonization, Indigenous rights, cultural preservation, environmental justice, and beyond.
Additionally, as the opening forum of the 2023 NATSA Conference, the program committee sought to acknowledge and honour the enduring historical, present, and ongoing legacies of Indigenous knowledge and voices in Taiwan. As devoted researchers and professionals in the field of Taiwan Studies, NATSA has remained steadfast in its commitment to highlighting the invaluable contributions of Indigenous knowledge production, which have long existed alongside and preceded our scholarly pursuits. With this vision in mind, the 2023 NATSA president Chee–Hann Wu, inaugurated the annual conference by acknowledging the ancestral lands of the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples, upon which the University of California, Irvine, now stands. In addition, she paid tribute to the Indigenous peoples in Taiwan, who have historically served as the first stewards of the land and waters that we now recognize as Taiwan. NATSA firmly believes that Indigenous Taiwan is integral to the sustainability of Taiwan Studies, especially because Taiwan Studies as a field stands to gain immeasurably from critical reflections on the interconnections between Indigeneity, decolonization, and solidarity.
Rethinking Indigeneity
One of the main themes addressed by all four panellists is the concept of Indigeneity, which is inextricably entwined with the ongoing process of decolonization in Taiwan and other colonial societies. Speaking from a Siraya perspective, Dr Jolan Hsieh/Bavaragh Dagalomai set the stage for the roundtable and the NATSA conference by asserting that “Indigenous peoples have the collective right to live in freedom, peace, and security as distinct peoples, and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence, including forcible removal of children from one group to another group.” By demonstrating a map of Taiwan’s Indigenous nations and peoples, Dr Hsieh invited us to recalibrate our understanding of modern Taiwan’s geography and cartography within the context of multiple colonial states and continuous colonization. In doing so, Dr Hsieh encouraged us to adopt a more inclusive oceanic perspective, reimagining Taiwan as a fluid geopolitical entity composed of multiple small nations/islands, each characterized by its unique languages and cultures.
Dr Kyle Shernuk provided a historicized analysis of the notion of Indigeneity by delineating the development of ideas about “Indigeneity” in the Republic of China (ROC) from the Japanese colonial period to today and demonstrating that contemporary language about “Indigeneity” largely aligns with global, liberal discourses emerging from the United States and, later, the United Nations. Centring on the distinct literary trajectories of the Paiwan poet Malieyafusi Monaneng and the Tao writer Syaman Rapongan, Dr Shernuk demonstrated how the tensions and complexities entailed in discourses of Indigeneity can be manifested through different modes of Sinophone dissonance and survivance, a conceptual pair inspired by the Anishinaabe cultural theorist Gerald Vizenor.
Dr Shu-Yuan Yang associated the concept of Indigeneity with the legitimacy of Indigenous Studies as an independent academic field. Drawing on Dr Scott Simon’s research on the ontological relations between Taiwan Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Anthropology, Dr Yang emphasized the importance of foregrounding the ontological self-determination of Indigenous peoples and sovereignties. She argued that Indigenous Studies should not be relegated to a mere sub-field of Taiwan Studies but rather encompasses critical reflections on Taiwan’s history of settler colonialism and intellectual inquiries into various forms of Indigenous sovereignties.
As a scholar specializing in transnational Indigenous education movements, Dr Meixi elucidated the efficacy and potential of the concept of “trans-Indigeneity,” which has enabled meaningful connections and gentle futurities to be built across Indigenous cultures, transcending national and geographical boundaries. In alignment with the title of her keynote speech, “Making Relatives: Trans-Indigenous Relationalities through Loyalty to Lands and Waters,” Dr Meixi invited the audience to make relatives by greeting one another and introducing themselves. Dr Meixi used this interactive activity as a bridge to introduce her work on relative-making and intersubjectivity facilitated through micro-moments of human interactions.
Enacting Decolonization
Another significant theme that emerged during the roundtable discussion is decolonization or the process of dismantling colonialism to restore justice and build a more equitable future for all. Focusing on Taiwan’s ongoing endeavours and challenges in transitional justice, Dr Jolan Hsieh underscored the necessity of including Indigenous voices and experiences in establishing a system of truth-seeking, reparations, and reconciliation. One of the foremost tasks in this regard is to recognize and restore the connections between Indigenous peoples and their ancestral lands and waters. Additionally, Dr Hsieh called for broader awareness and implementation of “ethnic mainstreaming” (族群主流化) as a fundamental aspect of Taiwan’s decolonial efforts, so that the needs, perspectives, and rights of Indigenous peoples can be taken into account in all aspects of decision-making and policy development.
Dr Shernuk’s analysis of Indigeneity through the lens of Sinophone dissonance and survivance shed light on the complex colonial and postcolonial histories of Taiwan, which have directly or indirectly shaped how Indigenous writers like Malieyafusi Monaneng and Syaman Rapongan conceptualize their relationships with the dominant Sinocentric culture. While Malieyafusi Monaneng proclaims a left-leaning, pro-unification political stance, Syaman Rapongan potentializes the world-making power of literature by centring the Tao ancestral knowledge and ways of life rather than catering to the horizons of expectations of mainstream Han readers. During the Q&A session, Dr Shernuk delved into the decolonial dimensions and identity politics embedded in the notion of Indigeneity, highlighting that the emphasis on firstness or the removal or displacement of one group by later arrivals carries the inherent element of opposition.
Dr Yang’s call for the legitimization of Indigenous Studies as a field of its own right represented a scholarly endeavour to advance decolonization, recognizing the fact that Indigenous Studies possesses its own epistemologies and ontologies, which can and have already inspired productive interdisciplinary dialogues. During the Q&A session, Dr Yang echoed Dr Shernuk’s comments on Indigeneity, suggesting that the emergence of Indigeneity as a political identifier may be understood along the lines of global decolonization.
Forging Relationality and Solidarity
Relationality and solidarity were two major undercurrents that ran through the roundtable discussion. Citing Indigenous Reconciliation in Contemporary Taiwan: From Stigma to Hope (2022), a recent anthology co-edited by Dr Hsieh, Dr Scott Simon, and Dr Peter Kang, Dr Hsieh exemplified the importance of inter-ethnic collaboration not only between Indigenous peoples and Han Taiwanese, but also between Taiwanese and non-Taiwanese. By thinking past binaries such as Indigenous versus Han or government versus society, Dr Hsieh encouraged us to explore different means through which solidarity can be forged through collectively building a justice-centred, diverse, and equal future. Furthermore, Dr Hsieh created a space for grieving Dr Shu-ya Lin, a dearly remembered Indigenous rights scholar and advocate who passed away earlier this year.
Both Dr Yang and Dr Meixi’s presentations highlighted the translocal and transnational dimensions of Indigenous Studies, pointing toward the possibility of creating Indigenous alliances across borders. By positing Taiwan as a nodal point or intersectional space between oceanic and continental civilizations, Dr Yang encouraged future researchers to focus and further expand on comparative perspectives, such as conducting comparative Austronesian research on the overlapping and multilayered colonial histories between Taiwan and the Philippines, both of which were Spanish colonies during the 17th century. Dr Meixi, on the other hand, introduced her research on trans-Indigenous educational collectives between Mexico and Thailand, asking important questions regarding the global dimensions of learning, Indigeneity, ethnics, and mobilities across space. Dr Meixi’s advocacy of trans-Indigenous and community-based methodologies not only explored the restorative and generative power of land and family-based storytelling but also exemplified how academics can contribute to community-building through active engagement in grassroots movements.
From the viewpoint of Indigenous peoples in Taiwan, settler colonialism remains an ongoing reality, and the postcolonial moment has yet to materialize as long as Indigenous sovereignties continue to be denied. However, this does not mean that decolonization is a futile endeavour. Instead, it can be construed as a collective attempt to redress past injustices and chart a path towards a more equitable present and future. As Dr Shu-mei Shih reminds us in the anthology Indigenous Knowledge in Taiwan and Beyond (2021), decolonizing Taiwan studies begins with the simultaneous centring of Indigenous knowledge and critique of settler colonialism. This roundtable embodied such an intellectual orientation, as all four panellists were reflexive about their positionality in their engagements with and commitments to Indigenous Taiwan. By probing into the critical possibilities and opportunities opened up by a repositioned epistemology of Indigenous Taiwan, this event represented an important starting point to work towards a decolonized Indigenous future, where more ethical and resilient connections and coalitions can be made.
Yi-Yang Cheng received his PhD in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on the documentation and description of endangered Indigenous languages of Taiwan through collaboration with Indigenous community members. Prior to receiving his doctoral degree, he was a Hou Family Visiting Research Fellow in Taiwan Studies at the Fairbank Center at Harvard University; he also served as a graduate student affiliate at the UCSB Center for Taiwan Studies, where he founded and organized the Linguistics and the Languages of Taiwan talk series.
Ssu-chieh Jessica Fan is a PhD student in Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include Sinophone literatures and cinemas, translation and transculturation, East Asian modernity, and comparative cultural studies. Her dissertation project will focus on the literary culture and cultural production of post-martial law Taiwan.
Susan Yang-Hsun Hou is a PhD candidate in Learning Sciences and Human Development and Taiwan Studies affiliate graduate student at the University of Washington. Their research work highlights affect and learning in social movements, and in their dissertation project, they collaborate with Indigenous communities in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to document Indigenous resistance for land justice.
This article was published as part of a special issue on ‘NATSA: Repositioning Taiwan‘.
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