Siraya is one of the 11 Pingpu, or low-land,indigenous peoples
(Austronesian) in Taiwan that have not been given an official status
by the current Chinese government who took over the island in 1945.
These peoples, in the earlier colonial period of Taiwan in the first
half of the 20th century under Japanese rule, were, albeit registered,
labeled as "ripe savages" [sic] as opposed to the "dangerous raw
savages" [sic] who dwell the mountains. Such colonial history has
contributed to the dormant status of the Siraya language since 1908,
and hence it is labeled as "extinct" by the mainstream society and
academia. The relation between such labeling and the denial of their
identity is obvious.
If you would like more information or to sign the petition, please go here
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Siraya-reclamation
|