Concerns for the Smangus people...

To whom it may concern:


I find it truly sad that such innocent people are being accused of a "crime" when they really did nothing wrong. What seems to be an act of burglary from your perspective should be further investigated and considered from another standpoint.

The Smangus people have been living on this land for a significant amount of years and have always acted as well-intentioned people and obeyed all of the laws. Unfortunately, they are now left helpless in a situation where they are observed as "thieves." The remains that were taken were a part of the aboriginal people's territory, which gives them the right to keep for traditional living needs (in respect to Section 4, Article 15 of the Forestry Act).

I feel that this situation is based on a biased perspective and will only prevail due to lies and false beliefs. These people should not be punished for their actions and have already proven innocence with the support of the Forestry Act. To accuse these people of something that so out of line is like disregarding several generations of significant aboriginal history. If these people are charged guilty, then I think its time to challenge the effectiveness of this legal system.

I hope that this case will be based on a fair judgment and that the Smangus people and Taiwan authorities can come to an understanding.

Thank you for your time.

Paul Bautista

Student of San Jose State University, California

Support for the people of Smangus by Dr. Jon Corbett

I first visited Smangus in 2005. Rarely in my travels have I encountered such hospitable, warm and generous people. I remember with great joy evenings by the fire eating crushed millet and wild honey, singing songs and laughing together.

To hear about their current predicament deeply concerns me. I would like to offer my support for the Smangus people in battling the apparent injustice of this incident.

I urgently call upon the Taiwanese government to reconsider their hasty actions in the manner in which they are treating the people of Smangus. It is the culture, spirit and hope embodied in these people (as well as members of all 12 Indigenous Tribes throughout the island) that contribute to making Taiwan such a diverse and resilient state. Please do not undermine this for the sake of bureaucratic rhetoric.

Jon Corbett, PhD.

Assistant ProfessorCommunity,
Culture and Global Studies,
University of British Columbia-Okanagan,3333
University Way,Kelowna,
B.C., Canada, V1Y 6A2

Smangus and Smangus Action Alliance News

Who are the thieves? Who actually protect the forest?

Written by Smangus & Smangus Action Alliance
Translated by Tony Chu, Taiwanese/American Fellowship Presbyterian church in New Jersey, USA

On May 7th , the people of Smangus will observe Smi Kei, (bury stone to make covenant) the traditional ceremony to declare the right of managing the forest in the territory of indigenous community and reject the policing from the national forestry administration

Applying the community assembly’s consensus to transport a stump of a wind-fall beech back to their own village in order to do landscaping, the previous year in September three men from Smangus, a Tayal indigenous community, were accused of larceny by the Forestry Bureau. They were indicted by Taiwan Hsin Chu District Court. On April 18 this year the court sentenced each of the three men 6 months in imprisonment or to convert the imprisonment into fine for NT$160,000 dollars. Opposing the sentence, Smangus and several Tayal people together protested to the Forestry Bureau. After 4 hours of negotiation, the talk between the Tayal people and the Forestry Bureau ended in a rupture.

At 11:00 On May 7th morning, abiding by the Tayal law Gaga and the Aboriginal Basic Law, Smangus, the Mrqwang group of Tayal nation, will observe the traditional ceremony Smi Kei (bury stone to make covenant) at Bridge No.2 in Smangus. By so doing, we the people of Smangus declare the right of managing the forest in the territory of indigenous community and act to show determination of upholding our own sovereignty. Appealing to clean the stigma for the charge of larceny against us, we strive to claim our own right and responsibility of living alone with the nature and protecting the precious land and forest of Taiwan.

We demand this country to fulfill the promise of establishing a new partnership between the indigenous peoples and the government of Taiwan. We also demand the government to observe the Aboriginal Basic Law passed through legislation in year 2003 by recognizing the right that we own the traditional territory of indigenous community and our management over the forest and the land within it.

Time: 11:00 A.M., May, 7, 2007
Place: God’s village Smangus – Bridge No.2 Smangus, Jien-Shih Township, Hsin Chu County, Taiwan

Coordinator: (Mr.) Batu Icyeh 886-911-257093
Executive Officer: (Mr.) Omi Wilang 886-910-024675
Public Relation: (Mr.) Lahuy Icyeh 0912-238070 / (Ms.) Ching-Wen Kuo 886922-884979
Sponsors: Smangus & Smangus Action Alliance
Original Post: Blog “Taiwan’s Indigenous Community—Smangus Battles for the Unfair Trial” http://smangus.blogspot.com/

Declaration of Indigenous Land Rights

Original Text written by Neqo Soqluman、Lahuy Icyeh (graduate students of Providence University, Taiwan)

Translated by Class of Contemporary Taiwanese Society

Department of Humanities and Social Science

National Chiao Tung University

People define the land, and the land defines the people. The Tayal inherent territory and natural sovereignty are the very foundation of Tayal culture. Therefore, the Tayal people declare that we have the full sovereignty, control and management over our ancestral lands.

To this day, the Tayal people—individuals and the village—have never by any means given up our ownership and use of our ancestral lands! That is to say we have never lost the rights to our traditional territory. This land has always been ours. For this reason, the Tayal people have the inherent rights to enjoy and manage our territory such as through agricultural cultivation, wild craft gathering, hunting, and current tourism development. This is our territorial heritage.

The state intervention is in fact an intrusion and offense to the Tayal subjectivity and sovereignty, which is an extreme example of the State’s brutality and oppression. How can the court prosecute the landowners as “thievery” when we simply use things from our own land? Therefore, in the premise of asserting our traditional territory and natural sovereignty, we demand that every form of state intervention be withdrawn from our land.

If the state claims that we do not have the land rights, please give concrete evidence to support such accusation. Or, please explain how the state acquired this land in the first place? And when did the Tayal people publicly announced that we give up our inherent traditional territory and natural rights?

Support from around the world: Dr. Teresa Tao's support for Smangus people

I would like to support Smangus people as a lecturer in the Department of Geography at University of Toronto, Canada by adding the following message. Please provide only my English name. Thanks

Teresa
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A letter to Taiwanese Authorities:

I am a lecturer in geography at University of Toronto, Canada and one of the authors of "Guidelines for Tourism in Parks and Protected Areas of East Asia", published by IUCN – The World Conservation Union. My specialization is sustainable tourism development and resource management in indigenous communities. I have worked with Smangus people in 2004 on ecotourism development.

I would like to join Dr. Jeanine Pfeiffer, Dr. William T. Hipwell, and Dr. Kelly Bannister to add my support to the villagers' request of dropping the adjudication of the first instance made by Taiwan Hsin-Chu District Court.

In order to effectively manage mountain forest o n an extensive scale, Forestry Bureau needs the aid and human resources of local indigenous communities who are born and brought up there and familiar with mountain forests and topography . It is the time to establish a mutually beneficial and respectful partnership with local indigenous communities .

The community began the planning and development of ecotourism more than ten years ago. Their interpretation program of local natural and cultural features and conservation concepts has changed knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of tourists in pro-environmental way. The tourism related activities in the community have been sustainably managed in way of supporting conservation and providing quality tourism. Full local participation and money generated has been evenly distributed within the community under their traditional culture Gaga (communal mechanism). As a result, it was chosen as the model tribal community by the Council of Indigenous People, Execurive Yuan. If this event was not handled properly, it would jeopardize other tribes ' confidence to the committment made by Chen's government of establishing a new parternship with indigenous communities in Taiwan.

Sincerely,Dr. Teresa Tao
Department of Geography
University of Toronto
Canada