Written by Yu-Chen Chuang. In 2023, Taiwanese society faced numerous instances of discrimination against Indigenous peoples. This article points out the critical need to envision an education system that not only acknowledges but actively commits to healing the wounds of settler colonialism.
Written by Ellen Y. Chang. The Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program at the University of Washington (UW) proudly presents Kuroshio Odyssey: Maritime Memories, Culture, and Landscapes. This initiative celebrates the rich Indigenous cultures of Taiwan and underscores their profound ties to the Pacific Northwest. It features a multi-sited exhibition at the Burke Museum and the UW Tateuchi East Asia Library, an online display hosted by Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Centre, and a series of family-friendly events. With four curators—Zuzule Demalalade, Nikal Kabala’an (Margaret Yun-Pu Tu), Jiun-Yu Liu, and Tien-Li Schneider—representing diverse ethnic backgrounds and possessing unique socio-cultural and institutional expertise, the program embraces a multitude of perspectives. Their partnership extends beyond borders, connecting Taiwan to the Pacific Northwest.
It is a privilege to present this insightful piece ‘For Molecular Archipelagic Thinking’ from Professor Chun-Mei Chuang, a respected figure in the field of Sociology from Soochow University, Taipei. Professor Chuang’s work is marked by her interests in feminist theories, postcolonial discourse, ecology, and animal studies. In this contribution, she graciously shares her experiences and reflections on teaching sociology in Taiwan, providing a rare glimpse into her unique approach and the broader sociological landscape in Taiwan.Chun-Mei Chuang is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Soochow University in Taipei, Taiwan. Her research interests include feminist theories, postcolonial discourse, ecology and animal studies.
Written by Zeng Ee Liew. The term ‘colonial nostalgia’, or 戀殖 (lian zhi), has appeared more and more since the 2000s in the discourse used by Mainland China to describe the politicians or activists who advocate for democracy or even independence in both Taiwan and Hong Kong. Very often, those democracy or independence activists will be described as ‘traitors’ who still harbour lingering love or affection and pander to the former Western or Japanese colonial power and fail to show full patriotic love to the motherland. The use of such discourse can be seen from the lens of a broader effort by the Chinese government to delegitimise those pro-democracy activists, which will be explored further in this article.
Written by Wasiq Silan. Is going green hurting Indigenous communities? Not necessarily. However, exclusionary conservation measures create a lose-lose outcome for non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities. Indeed, Indigenous peoples’ full and substantial participation is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable future and halting the rapid loss of global biodiversity. This is true for the Indigenous communities in Taiwan, such as in the case of the solar panel controversy on the Katratripulr Pinuyumayan (Beinan in Mandarin Chinese) people’s traditional territory. Drawing from the experience of the Sámi, my recent participation in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) may shed light on this issue.
Written by Charlie Smith. The King’s Field is a famous Japanese video game series created in the 1990s. But nearly 400 years ago, there was another King’s Field—the entire island nation of Taiwan. For 38 years in the 17th century, Taiwan was a colony of the Dutch Republic under the administration of the Dutch East India Company. And the Dutch king was the largest shareholder.
“The Han people pioneers cleared the land, but the land they cleared was stolen from them, and they were forced to turn their labors toward tilling the so-called ‘king’s fields’,” wrote historian Su Beng in Taiwan’s 400 Year History. “Moreover, most of what they achieved was given over, in the form of rent or taxes, called ‘king’s field rent contributions,’ for the use and enjoyment of the Dutch.”
