A three-week international workshop on Austronesian weaving kicked off June 25 in southeastern Taiwan’s Taitung County, underscoring the government’s commitment to promoting the shared cultural heritage of indigenous tribes from across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Organized by the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples, the event brings together 24 artists from 10 countries and territories including diplomatic allies Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Participants are set to exchange traditional skills by creating works using natural materials found in Taiwan such as bamboo, ramie and shell ginger.
At the opening ceremony, CIP Minister Icyang Parod said the workshop is hosted under resolutions passed at last year’s Austronesian Forum, a Taiwan-led initiative launched in 2007. It is expected to strengthen links among Austronesian-speaking peoples and boost economic development across the region, he added.
Several local experts are scheduled to share their knowledge at the event in fields spanning craftsmanship, marketing strategies and product design. The lineup includes artist Iyo Kacaw from the Amis tribe, and Yeh Chin-chia, a cultural and creative industries professor at National Pingtung University in the southern Taiwan county.
Attendees are also set to visit indigenous villages in Taitung and Pingtung, as well as facilities such as the Museum of Fiber Arts in central Taiwan’s Taichung City and Pingtung-based Taiwan Indigenous Culture Park. A final presentation of participants’ artworks will be held July 12 at the Taitung Indigenous Cultural and Creative Industries Park.
In March, the Cabinet approved a new six-year, NT$739 million (US$23.8 million) development plan for the Austronesian Forum. Set to commence in 2020, the program aims to facilitate economic development, promote preservation and exchange of traditional cultures, and strengthen international participation among Austronesian-speaking communities. (CPY-E)
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