Council of Indigenous Peoples

The Council of Indigenous Peoples (Chinese: 原住民族委員會, pinyin: yuánzhùmínzú wěiyuánhuì) (sometimes referred to as Council of Aboriginal Affairs), a ministry-level body under the Executive Yuan in Taiwan, was established in 1996 to provide a central point of government supervision for indigenous affairs, as well as a central interface for the Taiwan's indigenous community to interact with the government:

In coordination with other government agencies, the council supervises social welfare programs including medical care, vocational training, legal services, and community development for Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, and works on the comprehensive economic development of aboriginal communities...

— ^[1]

[In 2005, the] Council of Aboriginal Affairs, in addition to continuing the investigation and mapping of traditional tribes and their territories, coordinated with other ministries to draft or amend legislation on issues such as development in the aborigine reservations, zoning, national parks, and hot spring tourism.

— ^[2]

Among its most visible responsibilities are the power it has to grant recognized status to indigenous tribes of Taiwan. The tribes must apply with a petition and various pieces of evidence of their legitimacy. It is chaired by Sun Ta-chuan.

References

1. ^ "A Brief Introduction to Taiwan: People and Language". Government Information Office. Republic of China. Accessed on 8/11/06
2. ^ "U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005, China (Taiwan only)." Accessed on 8/17/06.

Further reading

Council of Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan