This Olympic theme was an opportunity to have Taiwan’s Aboriginal voices heard by the world, as well as a chance for the world to see their plight. In August 1996, Sinorama’s cover story explored the copyright and human rights issues around the song, “Return to Innocence,” and looked at the myriad problems traditional indigenous cultures can face when confronted by modern society.
In February that same year, we published a feature entitled “As My Grandpa Would Have Put It... Indigenous People Regain Their Names,” reporting on Aborigines’ gaining the right to use their native-language names for official purposes rather than just their Chinese names. This marked another step toward society’s reevaluation and rediscovery of Aboriginal languages, traditions, arts, and culture.
At that time, knowledge of Aboriginal cultures and tribes among Taiwan’s ethnic Chinese majority was minimal at best, but after 20 years of effort, Aboriginal culture has become one of Taiwan’s most valued cultural assets. And it all started with a song and a call for recognition.
