Echoing International Mother Language Day, CIP holds the 5th annual Indigenous Language Development Conference

TAIPEI, TAIWAN 28 February 2024 – On February 25, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) held the 2024 International Mother Language Day – Indigenous Language Development Conference at National Taitung University. Some 400 participants, including indigenous language revitalization practitioners and traditional leaders from indigenous communities nationwide, were invited to attend. Minister Icyang ．Parod publicly commended the 20 recipients of this year’s awards for their efforts in indigenous language development, encouraging more to follow suit in focusing on and engaging in the sustainable inheritance of indigenous languages.

CIP Minister Icyang expressed that President Tsai initiated the Indigenous Languages Development Act, which stipulates indigenous languages as Taiwan’s national languages. The Executive Yuan has provided substantial financial support for indigenous language development, enabling CIP to collaborate with central and local governments, civil organizations, indigenous communities, and indigenous peoples, all dedicated to the sustainable development of indigenous languages.

Minister Icyang further stated that echoing the United Nations International Mother Language Day, the Council of Indigenous Peoples has been organizing indigenous language development conferences annually since 2020. This year marks the fifth conference, with each year’s theme progressing from “Language Division,” “Language Development,” “Traditional Leaders,” “Indigenous Language Church,” to this year’s theme of “Community-led Language Promotion.” This systematic approach allows the step-by- step revitalization and inheritance of indigenous languages.

This year’s awards for promoting indigenous language development include the Lifetime Contribution Award, Language Inheritance Award, Language Promotion Award, and Special Award. These awards are given to a total of 20 recipients, who have been diligently and steadfastly promoting indigenous languages through research, preservation, teaching, and promotion efforts across Taiwan. Their dedication and fruitful achievements are truly inspiring.

Through discussions on various topics, this conference provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the government’s efforts and achievements in promoting the development of indigenous languages. It also facilitated discussions on how to create environments conducive to the use of indigenous languages in indigenous communities, as well as the role of church, where indigenous people often gather, in language promotion, thereby encouraging indigenous communities to actively participate in language revitalization efforts and create a friendly living environment where indigenous languages are widely used among indigenous community members.