Taiwan Church News

3344 Edition

March 28 - April 3, 2016

Church Ministry

Fighting Climate Change, "Taiwan Statement" Issued By INMIP To Treasure Indigenous Economy And Eco-system

Reported by Lin Chia-ching

In the morning on March 20 at Taipei, nine member state representatives of the International Network of MountainIndigenous Peoples(INMIP), including Australia, Philippine, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Holland and Taiwan, together with indigenous farmers, agricultural experts and Taiwan's legislators declare a "Taiwan Statement" urging global governments to treasure indigenous economy and eco-system and fight against the deteriorating climate change.

Symbolizing an union of Taiwan confronting the challenges of the climate change, Rev. Omi Wilang(PCT'ssecretary of Indigenous Mission Committee), Ms Kawlo Iyun Pacidal(Legislator of New Power Party), Ms Kolas Yotaka(Legislator of Democratic Progressive Party) and Mr Paelabang Danapan(Vice President of the Control Yuan) all hold the native silver grass in their hands and let them be bound together by Masay Sulung (the Atayal tribal chief of Smangus) in the praise and prayer of the Atayal pastor Tali Behuy.

Representatives of nine INMIP member states were also invited to visit various Taiwan's indigenous tribes at E'tolan(Taitung), Laiji(Chiayi), Namasia(Kaohsiung) and Jianshi(Hsinchu), learning the innovations of Taiwan's mountain agriculture, understanding the difficulties and exchanging their experiences and solutions.

In the bread house inside the deep mountain of Namasia(Kaohsiung), INMIP members learn how to bake the bread; at E'tolan(Taitung), under the instruction of the 84-year-old tribal chief, Banei Dali, the techniques of making colorful bags with the material of barks are shared.

In Jianshi(Hsinchu), Evangelist Dalu explains to INMIP members the relationships between land, crops andspirituality at the prayer mountain in Shilei; at Marikan tribe, the story of defending the access rights to water is told by Elder Yumin Hayung; at Tbahu tribe, Elder Domi Bayen shows INMIP guests how to collect mushrooms in the typhoon season; at Taigang tribe, the peach farm of Elder Rosya Butay is visited; INMIP members also taught in a religious ritual by Rev. Tali Behuy to plant millet and many other indigenous crops at Cinsbu; the meaning of "Tnunan" textile is explicated by Elder Yuraw Icyang under a group of red cypresses giant trees at Smangus.

Mr Ben Ruli from Papua New Guinea, after his visit of Laiji(Chiayi), expresses that he hopes to bring back theindigenous production techniques of sugar to his home land in order to improve the economy of his tribe people. Because the natural environment and the species of crops at Laiji are very similar to his home town, says Ben Ruli.

Prof. Lin Yih-ren, organizer of this INMIP Taipei assembly and director of Graduate Institute of Humanities inMedicine at Taipei Medical University, explains the reason why this Taiwan Statement is issued after his first attendance of INMIP at Nepal in 2014. It is due to a rapidly deteriorating global climate change and an excessive developments worldwide, the traditional agricultural environment experienced the drastically negative impacts and many indigenous mountain crops are hard to survive henceforth. Therefore, the global governments are obligatory to treasure their lands, oceans, local seed system and bio-cultural heritages in order to protect and preserve indigenous economy and eco-system, remarks Lin.

Translated by Peter Wolfe