Print

Mail

wiki links

Aborigines find media voice

After months of intensive professional training in the area of television-media, the students of the Second TV Media Aborigine Talent Training presented their final projects at a graduation ceremony yesterday.

The six-month training program taught the 32 Aboriginal students proficiency in TV broadcasting, photography, film editing, program production, sounds and light effects and other related media skills.

The program, sponsored by the Government Information Office, the Public Television Service Foundation, the Council of Aboriginal Affairs and the Council of Labor Affairs, was aimed to train Aborigines in the field of professional mass media.

"In this era of the information explosion," said Yu Kan-ping (虞戡平), chief program coordinator, "The mass media are, more than ever, the most important means for Aboriginal people to keep up with the times and to help promote and preserve their distinct cultures."

"Due to the lack of education and skills," Yu added, "More often than not the Aborigines find themselves engaged in some low-level jobs that require them to work in hazardous conditions."

"We hope that by means of this program," said Lee Yung-te (李永得), general manager of the Public Television Service, "We can help cultivate Aboriginal talent in a more professional field."

"For certain, we [Public Television Service] are going to hire at least ten of these students to work at our station," he added. He also called on other television stations to provide employment opportunity for these "excellent Aboriginal talents."

Lee pointed out that Aborigines have often either been forgotten or stereotyped in the mainstream media. By training Aboriginal talent, he hoped that it created a starting point for Aborigines to be exposed to media outlets and eventually to have a stage of their own, such as an Aborigine TV channel to express themselves.

"I am very grateful to be able to take in part in this training program," Polinan Iban (鷺柏安．伊邦) , from the Paiwan tribe, told the Taipei Times. "I've learned a lot about my own tribe as well as others [through this program]."

Beeshu-i Hsilan (比恕依．西浪) of the Atayal tribe felt that through the making of her documentary, a sense of mission as a Aborigine had deepened. "I feel it is the task of an Aborigine to promote public awareness and understanding of Aboriginal cultures and issues."

Every student was required by the program to make a documentary film concerning Aboriginal issues.

"There are many misunderstandings about the Aborigine," said Chiang Hsia (江霞), an executive of Taiwan Television Enterprise.

There are about 400,000 Aborigines, or 1.7 percent of Taiwan's 22 million people, spread among small villages, mostly in the remote east and southeast.
This story has been viewed 2369 times.