xī lā yǎ zú

西拉雅族

zhǎo huí

找回

zì jǐ

自己

de

的

míng zì

名字

The Siraya people have lived on the plains of southwestern Taiwan since long ago, with their own language, beliefs, and matrilineal traditions.

For centuries, they were ruled by different governments and were required to switch to Chinese, use Han Chinese surnames, and adopt Han Chinese culture.

Because they were forced to change their way of life for so long, their language and many traditions nearly disappeared, and for a time they were not recognized as an Indigenous people.

As Taiwanese society became more democratic, the Siraya people began to fight for land, culture, and identity rights.

Community members collected old objects and oral histories, recovered thousands of words from old books, and created children's books and songs so that young people could learn their mother tongue again.

After more than thirty years of effort, they finally gained official Indigenous status.

This result has made a name once hidden by history visible again. It also shows that the Siraya people did not suddenly appear; they have lived on this land all along.