National Indigenous Peoples Administrative Conference Promotes Tribal In-Depth Tourism Industry

The Council of Indigenous Peoples held the National Indigenous Peoples Administrative Conference on July 31. The conference invited heads of relevant central government agencies, Indigenous affairs authorities of special municipalities, counties (cities), and the heads of the 55 townships (towns, cities, districts) in Indigenous areas, as well as experts and scholars. The President also personally attended the venue at 11 a.m. that day to deliver remarks of encouragement.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples stated that the conference was held on July 31 in order to highlight the significance of Indigenous Peoples' Day on August 1. In addition to expressing the government's emphasis on the status and rights of Indigenous peoples and commemorating National Indigenous Peoples' Day, the proposals from the April 14 and April 15 meeting, chaired by Township Chief Yun Tian-bao of Jianshi Township Office in Hsinchu County as chairman of the "Association of Heads of Townships (Towns, Cities, Districts) in Indigenous Areas," would be handled and reported at this administrative conference.

In his remarks, the President stated that during his tenure he had proposed the administrative goals of "safeguarding the autonomy of Indigenous peoples," "fostering industries with ethnic characteristics," and "respecting the diverse cultures of all ethnic groups," and had steadily advanced them. The Executive Yuan attaches great importance to the rights of Indigenous peoples and has spared no effort in promoting Indigenous affairs, such as drafting the Draft Act for the Promotion of Indigenous Self-Governance and the Draft Indigenous Land and Sea Areas Act; implementing the program to rescue and promote endangered Indigenous languages; establishing five tribal schools for the Paiwan, Puyuma, Amis, Atayal, and Bunun peoples; and coordinating with the Judicial Yuan to establish 26 Indigenous courts.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples finally stated that this National Indigenous Peoples Administrative Conference centered on reporting the "Draft Act for the Promotion of Indigenous Self-Governance" and the "Current Status of Promotion of the Indigenous Tribal In-Depth Tourism Industry," integrating opinions from all sectors of Indigenous society on political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. It also encouraged the Indigenous affairs administrative team to strive toward the vision of "survival and development of Indigenous peoples, coexistence and shared prosperity," to work together in the same boat and unite in cooperation, and to fully communicate and coordinate with legislators of the Legislative Yuan, so that the "Act for the Promotion of Indigenous Self-Governance" and the "Indigenous Land and Sea Areas Act" can complete legislative passage smoothly, forging an immortal page in ethnic history for the sustainable survival and development of Indigenous peoples.