Kaohsiung hands over lands to indigenous peoples

2016/06/06

Southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City has become the latest municipality in the nation to officially transfer lands back to indigenous peoples, reflecting similar projects taking place in other parts of the country, notably Pingtung and Taitung counties in southernmost and southeastern Taiwan, respectively.

The move is part of a growing trend whereby local governments are seeking to restore ancestral lands to their original inhabitants. Currently, Taiwan recognizes 16 indigenous tribes. In total, aboriginal peoples number approximately 530,000 individuals, accounting for roughly 2 percent of the country’s population.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu gave land ownership certificates to 60 aboriginal households at a ceremony on May 28. A total of 110 plots covering 100 hectares were handed over to the indigenous residents. “It has always been our land,” a certificate recipient said proudly at the event.

The ceremony was held following the inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen on May 20. Tsai’s administration pledged to revive aboriginal traditions, Chen said.

“This is the most meaningful and valuable thing I’ve done during my 10-year administration in Kaohsiung,” Chen said, adding that the transfers were just the beginning of the city government’s work to collaborate with and stand up for indigenous peoples.

In the past, indigenous peoples could apply to reclaim their tribal land only by presenting official documents of ownership. This was difficult, as any documents that had been issued could be decades old. They were often lost or had never existed because private land ownership, as it is understood today, did not form part of most indigenous cultures.

According to the Regulations on Development and Management of the Lands Reserved for Indigenous Peoples, aboriginal individuals who have been granted the right to cultivate or build upon indigenous reservations can be given ownership of the land they operate after a period of five years. Transfers of ownership are made under the auspices of the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples, which has jurisdiction over roughly 262,000 acres of indigenous reservation land. Currently, 35 percent of such land is held by aboriginal owners.

The return of tribal lands to their original inhabitants may help lead to increased autonomy for indigenous peoples, Chen said. These efforts are also in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, she noted, adding that the Tsai administration will work to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples and revive their unique cultures, languages and systems.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=245351&ctNode=2194&mp=9)