Council of Indigenous Peoples, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office and Japan-Taiwan
Exchange Association co-hosted the 2019 International Austronesian
Languages Revitalization Forum on September 29. Representatives, experts, and
scholars from 11 countries attended, including the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, the Republic of Palau, New Zealand, the
Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, United States, Australia and R. O. C.
(Taiwan),about 120 people participated.
The full text of CIP Minister Icyang's opening speech is as follows:
Queen of Palau Bilung, Madame Debbie Remengesau, Ambassador Wallace
M.G. Chow of the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), distinguished
guests from around the world, good morning, nga’ayho！
First of all, on behalf of the Taiwanese government, I’d like to
extend our warmest welcome to all of you to Palau, this beautiful country, to
attend the 2019 International Austronesian Languages Revitalization Forum
jointly held by Taiwan, the United States and Japan.
Echoing UNESCO’s declaration of 2019 as the international year of
indigenous languages, the 2019 International Austronesian Languages
Revitalization Forum is organized by Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and
Training Forum (GCTF) with a highlight on implementation and prospects. Three
primary goals for the international year of indigenous languages are: support
and provide service for indigenous language revitalization, protect the rights
of use of indigenous languages, and promote indigenous languages and knowledge
in mainstream cultures. It is our hope that the government can review
administrative progress and thoroughly carry out promises made on the
preservation, promotion and revitalization of indigenous languages. We’d also
like to share our experiences through international collaborations.
In fact, 40% of the world’s 6,700 languages are facing the danger of
extinction, most of which are indigenous languages. Keeping languages alive is
a shared challenge faced by governments around the world. We hope this forum
can lead to feasible ways to revitalize endangered languages through vibrant
exchanges of experiences.
Consisting of more than 1,200 languages, the Austronesian language
family is the most widespread family of languages. The Austronesian region is
marked by Taiwan in the north, New Zealand in the south, Madagascar in the west
and Easter Island in the east.
Now, let me illustrate the commonality in languages shared between
indigenous peoples in Taiwan and the Austronesian family by one simple word. In
Amis language, the eye is called “Mata”. “Mata” is also the word for the eye in
Bunun, Kavalan, Sakizaya, and Yami languages. In Fijian, Kiribati, Indonesian,
Malay, Tagalog (Filipino), and Maori, Mata also means the eye.
Another example is the word “Lima”. Among the 16 indigenous tribes
in Taiwan, Lima means the number, 5, in 12 indigenous languages. It also means
5 in Fijian, Kiribati, Indonesian, Malay and Maori. From these examples, we can
easily see the commonalities shared in Austronesian languages that suggest the
shared roots of our cultures.
As the birthplace of the Austronesian language family, Taiwan is
willing to work with Austronesian countries. We've established the Austronesian
Forum as a platform for dialogues in an effort to preserve and revitalize
Austronesian languages and promote international awareness on Austronesian
cultures.
In addition, I’d like to share with you the progress we’ve made in
Taiwan with indigenous language policies. In 2017, we passed the Indigenous
Languages Development Act, which definitively acknowledges indigenous languages
as national languages. The Taiwanese government is also dedicating resources to
the revitalization of indigenous languages. We’ve established the Foundation
for the Research and Development of Indigenous Languages to carry out concrete
actions in achieving goals for the international year of indigenous languages.
More details will be shared in my colleague’s presentation scheduled in the
afternoon sessions.
In the end, I would like to thank scholars and experts from
Australia, the United States, Indonesia, Palau, New Zealand, and Taiwan, for
joining this forum. We will be hearing keynote speeches on the origin of
Austronesian languages in various aspects including archeology, linguistics,
and botany. Moreover, examples of language revitalization in each country will
be shared, and your viewpoints and comments are considered important references
for future language revitalization efforts in the Austronesian region.
Meanwhile, please take this forum as an opportunity to get to know one another
and facilitate cross-border cooperation and connection in the Austronesian
family!
Last but not least, best wishes to the forum and all of you. ARAY!
Thank you!
Distinguished guests at the 2019 Austronesian Languages
Revitalization Forum includes Minister Hon. Baklai Temengil of Community and
Cultural Affairs, Ambassador Wallace Chow of Taiwan to Palau, Ambassador Amy J.
Hyatt, U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Palau, and Director Tadataka Ikeda of
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office.
On behalf of His Excellency President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr.,
Minister Hon. Baklai Temengil extended the warmest welcome to all distinguished
guests. In her remark, she explained that it’s Palau’s first time hosting the
forum, and she hoped for the dialogues to find innovative ways to revitalize
traditional languages and sustain cultural heritage. Taiwanese ambassador
Wallace Chow pointed out in his remark that this year marks the 20th
anniversary of Taiwan and Palau’s diplomatic relation. It is also the first
language revitalization forum held under the Global Cooperation and Training
Framework (GCTF). The forum is a platform for Taiwan to engage with
Austronesian countries and further contribute to the field globally through
sharing the abundant experiences in the revitalization of indigenous languages
in Taiwan. American Ambassador Amy J. Hyatt stressed the intertwined nature of
languages and culture. Languages indicate human knowledge throughout history
and in various aspects. Generational tradition and cultural values shall be
preserved through forums like this. The last opening remark was made by
Director Tadataka Ikeda of Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. He mentioned that
this August, the then Foreign Minister Mr. Kono visited several Pacific Islands
countries including Palau, which was the first visit of a Japanese foreign
minister in 32 years. The forum is expected to facilitate academic exchanges
between Japan and Austronesian countries.
In this forum, archaeologist Peter Bellwood from Australian National
University opened the forum with the Origin and Spread of the Austronesian
Speaking Peoples, combining theories on linguistics, genetics, and archaeology
to argue that Taiwan is, in fact, the origin of the peoples and cultures of the
Austronesian. Academician Paul Jen Kue Li of the Academia Sinica talked on
Language Contact and Language Shift in Taiwan, illustrating the significant
value of language with linguistic concepts, and describes the current usage of
the Austronesian languages and endangered languages in Taiwan from the
perspective of "language shift". Archaeologist Matthew Spriggs
from Australian National University explains the source of Pacific
Islanders by speaking on the genetic history of Pacific Islanders, and finally,
Associate Research Fellow Kuo Fang Chung of the Biodiversity Research Center at
Academia Sinica spoke on paper mulberry, an important resource of the
Austronesian peoples, and proposed that Taiwan is the ancestral homeland of
Pacific Paper Mulberry, the latter then spread with the migration of the
Austronesian peoples, a symbiotic relationship proving indirectly the
Out-of-Taiwan theory.
Furthermore, First Lady of Palau Madame Debbie Remengesau is all the
more concerned about the work of language revitalization, see the increasing
decline of Palauan-speaking youth population in Palau. Not only did she attend
the opening ceremony in support of the work, she stayed throughout the entire
forum. She stated that language is the root of culture as well as the key
factor to forming ethnic identity. Therefore, she would like to establish a
buddy system with Taiwan, by exchanging and sharing experiences, we can work to
promote the teaching, learning and revitalization of language and culture for the young indigenous population between the two countries.
CIP Minister Icyang stated that this forum explores a diverse
spectrum of perspectives, demonstrating the vibrancy and potential of
researches for Austronesian languages. In the future, Taiwan will combine
forces with various Austronesian countries, promote the use and preservation of
Austronesian languages, improve the visibility of Austronesian languages
in the international society, and in turn establish the sense of identity for
the circle of Austronesian cultures.