kai na kacalysiyan: Report on the Current Situation of Indigenous Languages in Taiwan

Presented at Satellite Event of 13 International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (July 23, 2015, Academia SINICA, Taipei Taiwan).

I prepared the talk in English (with a brief introduction in my mother tongue Paiwan) for my target audience - Austronesian linguists from all over the world - and I intended to take them on a time journey from the 17th century onward, so they may see the language shift on the island.

Generally speaking, indigenous languages in Taiwan are now in the hospital. Policies, including those supporting ILRDC, are the medicines. Treatments have so far been given for two decades.

After the report, Ethnologue showed excitement that it has found a new source of information with which they could revise their website, and they would be happy to keep in contact. Personally, I also think it is time to reevaluate the vitality of Taiwan's indigenous languages. UNESCO Interactive Atlas isn't really accurate in the case of Taiwan; Global Language Hotspots can also use some new data.

But such revision isn't an ode to the success of previous revitalization efforts. Though encouragement intended, the purpose here is, instead, rather to know where kai na kacalysiyan (indigenous peoples' language) truly are, so as to come up with really good plans, feasible and effective, that will keep the languages alive.

Inner Mongolia（內蒙古）

(The following is about my trip to China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in July 2015).

結束了「2015年台灣原住民族與大陸少數民族發展研討會」，去了俗稱「酒吧一條街」的北京后海喝小酒唱山歌，到了天安門廣場和故宮參觀幾小時，也親眼瞧過「鳥巢」、「水立方」，之後就準備前往此行真正的目的地：內蒙古自治區。

內蒙古面積118萬平方公里，人口2,400餘萬，將近四十個台灣大，人口卻只多一點。這趟旅程只鎖定第三大都市赤峰市以及赤峰市下的三個旗及兩個區：翁牛特旗、巴林右旗、克什克騰旗（蒙族詩人席慕蓉的家鄉）、紅山區及松山區。

以上這些地方加起來還是三個台灣大，將近9萬平方公里，因此在名副其實的「大陸」該趕的路，一點也沒有少掉。

2015 Conference on the Development of Taiwan Aborigines and China's Ethnic Minorities

Presented at 2015 Conference on the Development of Taiwan Aborigines and China's Ethnic Minorities (July 4, 2015). My role was the commentator for the third session of the Forum. 

I used two concepts, 'co-management' and 'empowerment', to respond to the presentations on language revitalization and the design of ecological compensation standard and cultural-touristic zone. Whether it comes to developing indigenous languages, tourism, land or civil rights, it is my belief that indigenous peoples and minorities should have a say and a role in any decision-making process. There is no development if the people's very own voice is not heard. ILRDC, which works so closely with indigenous language teachers and villagers via a number of channels, is working towards the goals of comanagement and empowerment.