Center for Indigenous Studies (National Dong Hwa University)

Center for Indigenous Studies (National Dong Hwa University)
Name	Center for Indigenous Studies (National Dong Hwa University)
Native name	國立東華大學原住民族學院研究中心
Established	2001
Type	Research center
Affiliation	National Dong Hwa University
Location	Hualien County, Taiwan

Center for Indigenous Studies (National Dong Hwa University) is a research and academic unit within National Dong Hwa University focused on the interdisciplinary study of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples. The Center conducts research on Indigenous languages, cultures, histories, and rights while engaging with Indigenous communities across Taiwan, including the Amis, Atayal, Paiwan, Bunun, Rukai, Puyuma, Tao (Yami), Truku, and Saisiyat peoples. It contributes to national and regional dialogues involving cultural heritage, land rights, and Indigenous education.

History

The Center was formed amid broader institutional developments at National Dong Hwa University and national policy shifts following the lifting of martial law in Taiwan and the passage of laws recognizing Indigenous rights such as the Indigenous Basic Law (Taiwan) and related measures. Its establishment aligned with initiatives at institutions like Academia Sinica, Taiwan Indigenous Television, Taiwan Association for Human Rights, and university programs responding to demands voiced by Indigenous leaders from communities including Amis, Atayal, Paiwan, Bunun, Rukai, Puyuma, Truku, Sediq, Tsou, and Saisiyat. The Center’s development paralleled scholarly efforts at National Chengchi University, National Taiwan University, Soochow University, and Tunghai University to create institutional infrastructure for Indigenous research and policy engagement.

Mission and Objectives

The Center's mission emphasizes academic research, cultural revitalization, and advocacy aligned with instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and regional frameworks involving the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. Objectives include documenting endangered languages like Amis language, Atayal language, Paiwan language, and Bunun language; supporting community-driven cultural projects modeled after initiatives at National Museum of Taiwan History and National Taiwan Museum; and training scholars who engage with legal reforms such as land restitution debates influenced by cases in Ilocos and comparative studies with Māori frameworks in New Zealand.

Academic Programs and Research

The Center offers graduate seminars and hosts visiting scholars from institutions including University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of British Columbia, Australian National University, and regional partners like National Cheng Kung University and National Tsing Hua University. Research areas span linguistic fieldwork referencing methodologies from Noam Chomsky-inspired syntax studies and corpus approaches used at Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics; ethnography informed by traditions from Claude Lévi-Strauss and contemporary Indigenous scholars such as Linda Tuhiwai Smith; and collaborative legal research comparing jurisprudence from the Constitutional Court of Taiwan and comparative tribunals. The Center supervises theses on topics connected to the Council of Indigenous Peoples (Taiwan), ethnomusicology linked to performers like Abao, and heritage management in dialogue with curators at Smithsonian Institution.

Community Engagement and Cultural Preservation

Community programs include language revitalization projects with village councils in Hualien County, oral history archives coordinated with elders from Taitung County, and cultural festivals analogous to events at Pulima Art Festival and collaborations with arts groups such as Formosa Aboriginal Song and Dance Troupe. The Center works with legal advocates from International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs and cultural NGOs like Hand in Hand. Fieldwork protocols reference standards from UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and coordinate repatriation or documentation practices similar to those undertaken by the British Museum and National Museum of Australia.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Center maintains formal links with governmental and non-governmental bodies including the Council of Indigenous Peoples (Taiwan), Ministry of Education (Taiwan), Hualien County Government, and international partners such as University of Auckland, University of Hawaii, Seoul National University, National University of Singapore, and University of Tokyo. It collaborates with cultural institutions like the National Museum of Taiwan History, media outlets such as Taiwan Indigenous Television, and research institutes including Academia Sinica and the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica. Collaborative networks extend to diasporic organizations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

Facilities and Resources

Facilities comprise an archive for audio-visual materials, language databases modeled after corpora at the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR), a digital lab with GIS tools akin to those used in projects at Harvard Kennedy School spatial studies, and performance spaces for Indigenous arts. The Center curates collections of textiles, ritual objects, and recordings comparable to holdings at the National Museum of Taiwan History and manages an open-access repository compatible with international standards promoted by Digital Public Library of America and Europeana.

Notable Projects and Publications

Major projects include comprehensive language documentation of Amis language, community-based land mapping with stakeholders in Taitung County, ethnomusicological recordings featuring artists such as Abao and ensembles connected to the Pulima Art Festival, and collaborative volumes on Indigenous rights with contributors from Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and scholars affiliated with Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University. Publications appear in journals like The Journal of Pacific History, Oceanic Linguistics, Asian Ethnicity, Taiwan Journal of Anthropology, and edited collections released by presses including Routledge and Springer. The Center has hosted conferences attracting delegates from United Nations forums, the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, and regional academic associations.

Category:Research institutes in Taiwan Category:Indigenous studies