Of Boars and Men: Indigenous Knowledge and Co-Management in Taiwan

Abstract

Around the world, especially since the passage of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, indigenous people have hoped that advances in legal rights can help them gain recognition for their ecological knowledge and autonomy in the use of natural resources. In Taiwan, following legal changes in the 2005 Basic Law on Indigenous Peoples, indigenous people hope to gain control of their own hunting regime through establishment of co-management boards with national parks and other state institutions on their traditional territories. This article explores hunting practices and indigenous knowledge in Truku communities. Hunters and trappers possess rich knowledge about the mammals and birds of the forests. Hunting practices embed them in the ancestral law of Gaya and contribute to cultural survival. This article explores whose knowledge is most relevant to the establishment of co-management institutions and makes suggestions for their creation.