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Fighting for the Kavalan and Aboriginal rights

By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER
Monday, Nov 18, 2002, Page 4

Taipei Times: What is the significance of recognizing the Kavalan (噶瑪蘭) as the 11th tribe?

Lin Chiang-i (林江義): The purpose and significance of recognizing the Kavalan as the 11th Aboriginal tribe are fourfold. We were brainwashed during the KMT era to think that there is only one superior ethnic group in Taiwan -- mainlanders. But Taiwan is a land made up of various ethnic groups and it's a fact that we simply cannot deny.

In addition, from the historic point of view, we have to respect the fact that the Kavalan people were once an active and populous tribe in Taiwan. We should also realize that it is one of the nation's most endangered indigenous tribes.

Moreover, in order to make it easier for the Aboriginal people to have their tribal name registered on their household documents, it's a necessary step for the government to recognize the Kavalan as an official Aboriginal tribe from the administrative viewpoint. [The Executive Yuan on June 12 approved a draft regulation requiring Aborigines specify their tribal name in their household registry papers.]

Finally, the government feels that it's obligated to respond to the request of the Kavalan people who have been pushing for the official recognition of their tribe for 10 years.

TT: What are some of the difficulties the Kavalan people have encountered and achievements they have made over the years in terms of fighting for the preservation of their culture and official recognition of their tribe?

Lin: The Kavalan people started to push for the official recognition of their own tribe about 10 years ago when Premier Yu Shyi-kun was the Yilan County commissioner. As Yilan County is the origin of the Kavalan people, Yu pledged to help them petition to the then KMT government.

The DPP is now in power and Yu is the premier. There is no doubt that the premier will endorse the promise he made a decade ago as the Executive Yuan is set to approve our proposal [of recognizing the Kavalan as an official Aboriginal tribe].

Following the government's recognition of the Thao tribe as the 10th official tribe last year, our plan is to push for the official recognition of the Makattao tribe as the nation's 12th tribe next year. The population of the Makattao tribe stands at around 1,000 and most of them live in the Manchou village in Pingtong County.

TT: Could you please tell us more about the Kavalan tribe, including their population, culture and history?

Lin: The Kavalan tribe used to live in Yilan County during the Ching Dynasty. At its peak, there were a total of 60 to 70 villages. The year of 1796 saw an exodus of the Kavalan people as Wu Sha (吳沙) -- the trailblazer of Yilan County -- led thousands of immigrants from Fukien Province to explore.

Because of the cultural clashes and bloody turf fights, most of the tribe relocated to Hsincheng and Fengpin villages in Hualien County as well as Chungpin village in Taitong County.

The Kavalan tribe had managed to preserve their own language and culture until some 10 years ago when they started to integrate with the Ami.

According to our own study, the population of the Kavalan tribe is less than 2,000, with 1,700 of them having expressed their interest in reinstating their tribal identity.
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