Hualien County Magistrate Candidates Unveil Indigenous Policy Proposals

As Taiwan observes Indigenous Peoples' Day, the three main candidates vying for the Hualien County Magistrate position have presented distinct policy platforms centered on indigenous affairs. With the indigenous population making up more than a third of Hualien's residents, their votes are considered crucial in the upcoming election.

Independent candidate and current County Speaker Chang Chun, backed by Amis tribal leaders, emphasized "tribal issues decided by the tribes themselves." His proposals include establishing a tribal development fund and an action team for indigenous reserved land. He also plans a program to attract 100 indigenous talents back to their hometowns and create revenue-sharing mechanisms for tribal industries.

County Councilor Wei Chia-hsien, from the prominent "Hualien Wei family," has pledged to assist the Mayuan tribe in repatriating ancestral remains. He also aims to promote the cultural revival of the Siraya people, who were recently recognized as Taiwan's 17th indigenous group. Wei highlighted that eastern migrating Siraya, Makatao, and Davalan communities in Hualien have long been overlooked and promised to prioritize their cultural preservation, historical inheritance, and language revitalization.

Kuomintang-nominated candidate Yu Shu-chen, seen as a successor to the influential Fu Kun-chi and Hsu Chen-wei political couple, released an indigenous policy white paper. It outlines six major policy areas: social welfare, tribal economy, cultural heritage, land justice, resilient governance, and international exchange. Specific initiatives include promoting deep cultural tourism, specialty agriculture, and traditional arts through tribal colleges. Yu also proposed a "Resilient Islands Tribal Plan" focusing on disaster preparedness training for tribal residents and continuing the South Island Music and Dance Festival to foster exchanges with other Austronesian indigenous groups.