Taiwan Studies Lecture by Daya (Da-Wei) Kuan, National Cheng Chi University
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
10383 Bunche Hall
UCLA
There is increasing awareness of the importance of coordinating indigenous ecological knowledge and modern resource management, which has the potential to politically reconcile the state-indigenous relations, economically reduce the cost of implementation, and ecologically enhance the society’s capacity to adapt to environmental change. However, such collaboration is usually difficult in terms of epistemology, as well as methodology. This lecture will present the efforts to create dialogue among stakeholders of indigenous ecological knowledge, modern science, and state policy for land management in Taiwan. Based on extensive involvement of participatory mapping and ethno-physiographic research in the indigenous communities, Prof. Kuan will: 1) review the context in which community mapping was introduced to Taiwan as a tool for indigenous traditional territory survey, and turned into a form of indigenous land movement; 2) demonstrate the outcomes that revealed the logic of indigenous landscape management, and compare it to the state management regime; and 3) address the recent progress in the state’s forestry and spatial planning policy, which could not be achieved without trans-cultural dialogue
Daya (Da-Wei Kuan) comes from the Tayal indigenous group in Taiwan and is Associate Professor in the Department of Ethnology at National Cheng Chi University. His research interests include: indigenous geography, indigenous land policy, indigenous community mapping, and community-based resources management. In addition to his fieldwork in Taiwan, Daya also commits himself to comparative studies and collaborations within the Austronesian language-speaking family in the Asia Pacific. Devoted to integrating his academic research, teaching and community service for the claims of indigenous land rights, he collaborates with different indigenous communities in traditional territory mapping, land-use planning and community development projects. Daya is a member in the Committee for the Promotion of Indigenous Peoples Basic Law in the Executive Yuan chaired by the premier of the Taiwan government. He also serves as the consultant in the Subcommittee on Land Claims of the Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee in the Presidential Office.
Daya Kuan is a UCLA Taiwan Studies Lectureship Visiting Scholar in winter 2020.
The UCLA Taiwan Studies Program is supported by the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, represented by the Education Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, and by the J. Yang and Family Foundation.
Aaron Miller
(310) 825-0007
armiller@international.ucla.edu
Sponsor(s): Asia Pacific Center, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles