Thirty-seven Aboriginal college and graduate students from around the country yesterday received scholarships from the Lee and Lien Education Foundation at the National Taipei Teachers College.
Forty-three high school students also received prizes from the foundation.
PHOTO: CNA
"You are the owners of Taiwan," former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said. "You must have confidence in that fact and be proud to announce to the world that you are an Aborigine," Lee told the students, chosen from more than 1,700 applicants.
"Our Aboriginal youth need this sort of confidence," Lee said. "Today we are able to give you economic support and make your studies possible, but this is not enough. To be competitive in Taiwan's society, you must have confidence in your identity."
The foundation was created in 1996 by Lee and then-vice president Lien Chan (連戰).
But after the 2000 presidential election, a rift between Lee and Lien left the foundation in an awkward situation.
The foundation now appears to lean toward Lee, especially as it is chaired by a longtime supporter, Huang Kun-hui (
Huang is also the vice chairman of Taiwan Advocates, a pro-independence think tank founded and chaired by Lee.
Lien was not present at the ceremony yesterday.
Lee said he had a personal concern for Aboriginal issues. After having what he called a "religious experience" at the age of 35, Lee said he had a special duty to take care of Taiwan's Aborigines. He cited educational standards and deficiencies in agricultural technology among the tribes as pressing problems.
"Schools in the mountains are too often just springboards for plains teachers [Han teachers]," he said.
"They teach one or two years and leave, never truly investing in the children's future. What's more, most non-Aboriginal teachers do not understand the Aboriginal lifestyle, and see their traditions as faults.
"This is just like Taiwan's plight: always being a springboard for different colonialists who don't keep our best interests in mind," Lee said.
Lee said he would help launch a plan in August involving over 400 Aboriginal churches and ministries nationwide. A Christian himself, Lee said he hoped to help the churches become community centers that guide agricultural technology, education and career counseling for Aboriginal people.
He also urged the recipients of the foundation's scholarships and prizes to give consideration to returning to their communities to help improve conditions among their people.
"If this money helps you stand up and develop confidence in yourself, you will be able to accomplish a lot, both in the mountains and in Taiwan's society as a whole," he said.
Lee personally presented each award, asking the Aboriginal name and home of each recipient as he or she approached. He encouraged the students to give up their Chinese names and resume using their tribal names.
After the ceremony, foundation representatives held a conference with scholarship recipients called "The Development of Aboriginal Education and Society."
Huang headed the discussion, receiving suggestions and fielding questions from the students. He promised that the foundation would use its influence to make Aboriginal voices more clearly heard in government.
Huang called on the students to create a national Aboriginal student organization to place pressure on the legislature.
"This is a democracy," Huang said. "So you must make your voices heard."
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