New Southbound Policy Portal

The CIP launches a book exploring the origins of Austronesian peoples Aug. 17 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of CIP)
 

The Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples officially launched its book “The Origins of the Austronesians” Aug. 17 in Taipei City, spotlighting government efforts to raise awareness of such groups’ language and history while deepening Taiwan’s cultural ties with its Indo-Pacific partners.

Written in parallel Mandarin and English text, the book consists of research by academics and experts who attended the 2019 International Austronesian Language Revitalization Forum. Staged under the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework in Palau, the forum is dedicated to promoting and protecting indigenous languages, as well as improving the lives of native speakers.

At the launch event, CIP Minister Icyang Parod said the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan play a vital role in determining the roots of the Austronesian language family. It is expected that the book will help deepen people’s understanding of Austronesian migration while attracting attention to associated cultures and languages, he added.

Echoing his remarks, U.S. linguist Robert Blust said the Austronesian expansion out of Taiwan, which reached more than halfway around the globe, is one of the great chapters in human history. The phenomenon deserves a place in historical accounts, he said, adding that the publication will help make the past more visible to people worldwide.

Australian archaeologist Peter Bellwood, speaking after Blust, said the oldest traces of Austronesian languages all lead back to Taiwan and expressed hope that the government will continue supporting the aspirations of the Austronesian-speaking population at home and abroad.

Other high-profile participants of the event included Larry R. L. Tseng, director general of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Paul Jen-kuei Li and Chung Kuo-fan, adjunct and associate research fellows of Academia Sinica, respectively; Joy Lin, political section officer of the American Institute in Taiwan; Tadataka Ikeda, director of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association; and Dilmei Louisa Olkeriil, Palau Ambassador to Taiwan. (YCH-E)