In the 1970s up until the end of the 1980s
I couldn't see any future for aboriginal people
The languages were on the brink of disappearing
All the rites and ceremonies had been abandoned or changed in form
The methods of Aboriginal industry had changed inherently
The authority of the tribe, became that of the village then the township, it became caught up in bureaucracy
The way we cultivated authority in the tribe, or, to put it another way, the tribal discipline,
The systems of authority all fell apart
We couldn't see any future
So in my early writings I said that aboriginal peoples were an ethnic group in the dusk of life
Hanging on by the skin of its teeth
It was a very real feeling
I'm not even talking about the next generation, Even my generation had withered away to nothing
We hadn't yet envisioned a stop-Loss point
Luckily it was from the 1990s, due to the amendment of the constitution in Taiwan
There was a lot of change in Taiwan As a result of shifts in social power
So, when we talk about multiculturalism or multicultural values
Although they are still not very powerful concepts, and some people just use them simply as catchphrases,
There has actually been some relaxing of ideas
This was the process of the amendment of the constitution in the 1990s,
And the setting up of the Council of Indigenous Peoples,
Then under the support of the constitution there was an administrative body, 0:01:58.000,0:01:56.777 Which unites those things which relate to indigenous affairs
I think we can more or less envision a stop-loss point now
This is an important responsibility for our generation, those of us in our fifties and sixties
Because we once had experience of tribal life, even if just for a short time
We can speak to the younger generation in our mother tongue
We have experience of growing up in a tribal setting
We've attended sacraficial rites
Attending those rites are what's important, not hearing someone else's experience or watching footage
We all have a greater or lesser experience with tribal discipline
That the older generation are all so healthy and cheerful is really a blessing from God
In the short 20 years since 1990
We're a lot more visible, whether in aboriginal literature, or in legal and political institutions
Although its been a little lopsided, we're still there
Even in the revival of rituals, although there are some corruptions within it
Because the ritual is still there, and those who could sing the songs are still here,
So the thread is still there
Therefore our generation has an important mission
To leave these threads in tact
To what purpose you might ask? For the next generation
To give them a foundation for creative work, or in forming a new culture in the future
If you have no foundation, I always think
Like before when I was promoting aboriginal literature letting aboriginal authors be recognized amongst writing circles
And we did research into memories of tradition among aboriginal peoples, and then translated it
One might think that has nothing to do with today
But this is all preparation for the aborigines 50 years from now
The children of the aborigines of 50 years from now want to trace the steps of their ancestors
At least it won't be as hard for them as it was for us
Except for the advantage of the little experience we had
We had no written resources or records
So after joining the Council of Indigenous Peoples I set up the Council for Indigenous Documents
With an aim to look at Dutch and Spanish documents
Although they weren't written from our perspective
There are lots of details and clues in them
As well as Chinese literary sources that talk about aboriginal peoples, and writings in the Japanese Colonial Period
We'll exert ourselves to pass on these kinds of threads to young people
In regard to our young people, I don't really approve the way some people
Pronounce aboriginal culture to be set in stone with an unchanging nature
This simply isn't true
Nothing in the world is like that, that is only an ideology
Although sometimes we need ideologies
Although it may sound awful, the reality is that
Anything to do with identity is ideological
From an individual perspective, our egos are built on narcissism
We try to focus on the good stuff and avoid facing up to the true nature of the ego
I think society works in the same way
With this in mind, how do we find an ideological identity that fits with reality?
If a culture or a people has no way of resonating with the age in which it finds itself
It must be able to find a propelling force within itself,
As well as having the threads of traditional experience within its grasp,
To allow it to dialogue with new experiences
Which in turn endows it with the ability to see and do things impossible in its traditional system
This is what we call the dialectic between tradition and modernity
We now have to form that dialectical relationship
In terms of expectation of the next generation I don't expect them to be fluent in the mother tongue
That's just like asking an African American to learn his ancestor's native tribal tongue
You don't have to know the language to attain their identity
Even if we're using Chinese language in confronting modernity
I know that the generation of my brother, or my mother or my grandfather
Had this kind of convoluted experience
This convoluted experience endows them with a unique perspective from which he sees things
Aboriginal Literature is written in Chinese but it is completely different ethnically Chinese writers
Just like American Indian Literature and African American Literature
Rituals won't die off, from a conservationist perspective
The problem is how to keep them active
Our first effort was to preserve them
As to keeping them active, that will depend on the willingness of the next generation
This 'next generation' refers not only to aboriginal people but Taiwanese people in general
Because they are part of Taiwan's cultural heritage
If we want a new form of Taiwanese culture and even of Taiwanese language
To differentiate us from Mainland China
The elements are all there already
The question is whether or not you want them
The next generation have to put in an effort, including those of Chinese ethnic origins
And treasure this piece of our cultural heritage
I'm not to keen on forwarding the idea of a natural characteristic
Or go too far in terms of the human right's angle that would ignore certain realities
However, when we discover a human rights's issue
We have to get rid of it
Which gives the next generation freedom, freedom to choose
Someone might be born on Taiwan, born into the Puyuma tribe
He has a collective sense of belonging culturally to the tribe
But that sense of belonging is only a part of their life, or their being
The other part is the individual realizing themselves, and their harnessing their creative power
This is a balance that needs to be sought out for the younger generation
This was clear to me even before I became the Minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples
We have to prepare them for this in my opinion