The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a move to add two more groups — the Kanakanavu (卡那卡那富) and Hla’alua (拉阿魯哇) people — to the nation’s 14 officially recognized Aborigine groups.
Hailing from mountain villages in southern Taiwan, Kanakanavu people and Hla’alua people are mainly based in Greater Kaohsiung’s Namasiya Township (那瑪夏) and Taoyuan District (桃源) respectively.
The official recognition was welcomed with traditional celebrations, cultural dances and music in a ceremony at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Kanakanavu people, who number about 600, and Hla’alua people, numbering about 500, have smaller populations than the nation’s major Aborigine groups.
An official at the Council of Indigenous Peoples said these groups were previously classified as Tsou (鄒) people, but their languages, cultural traditions and ritual ceremonies differ from those of the Tsou.
An assessment study undertaken by researchers at National Chengchi University’s Center for Aboriginal Studies indicated that the two groups each had their own cultural characteristics and ethnic identities, and therefore should be recognized as two distinct Aborigine groups.
Photo: CNA
An earlier, traditional classification held that the nation is home to the so-called “nine mountain Aborigine groups” — the Amis, Atayal, Puyuma, Bunun, Paiwan, Rukai, Saisiyat, Tsou and Yami peoples.
Since 2001, the government has recognized five more Aboriginal peoples: the Thao, Kavalan, Truku, Sakizaya and Sediq.
However, the government has excluded 10 lowland Pingpu Aborigine groups from official recognition, activists have said.
Despite decades of struggle for Aboriginal rights and their lobbying efforts, the government still denies recognition to the Pingpu groups of Babuza, Hoanya, Kaxabu, Ketagalan, Makatao, Pazeh, Papora, Siraya, Taokas and Tavorlong.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition