From “indigenous rights” to the “duty to advance indigenous self-government”: A multidimensional analysis of theories, institutions, discourses, and empirical data (2/2)

In early 2022, the Taiwanese government proposed a new approach to advancing indigenous self-government. According to the government, the approach enables indigenous self-government to be materialized through a series of, rather than a single, legislation, along with a test-run mechanism. Noteworthily, a change in policy discourse of the government came with the approach. The government now states that Taiwan has already reached “substantial self-government” in the fields of education and language. On the basis of this new statement, the government's promise to deliver self-government has somehow seemed to be fulfilled already. Facing this policy U-turn, this research project argues that indigenous and human rights studies are also approaching a “duty turn”. That is to say, it is “government’s (fiduciary) duty” to advance indigenous rights to self-government. To put it more precisely, in order to realize such a duty, the government bears the responsibility to consult, negotiate, and accommodate indigenous peoples. By arguing that rights and duties are in fact two sides of the same coin, this three-year project aims to analyze indigenous rights through the discussion of government duties.The project also aims to collect empirical data from in-depth interviews, focus groups, participation observations, and ethnographic research tools. In order to learn from the experience of other countries, a two-week fieldwork study will be conducted in New Zealand. Overall, the project seeks to obtain a deeper understanding of how to achieve indigenous self-government.