SIRAYA – 西拉雅族

Location of the Island of Taiwan in East Asia
( ontheworldmap.com )

Island of Taiwan & Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Islands.
Also shown are:
Green Island (Lu Dao) & Orchid Island (Lan Yu).
( cia.gov )

Administrative Divisions of Taiwan
( nouahsark.com )

Traditional geographical distribution of Highland Peoples.
Alternate spellings or names:
Taroko (Truku, Seediq); Yami (Tao)
( wikipedia . org )

Satellite image of Taiwan showing the central mountains. Compare this image with the map (above) to appreciate the geographic distribution of the Highland Peoples.
( geology . com )

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for Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples

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THE SIRAYA PEOPLE – 西拉雅族

  • The Siraya Indigenous People are one of Taiwan’s most historically significant Indigenous groups, especially in relation to early contact with Europeans and the formation of modern history. of the Island of Taiwan. The traditional territory of the Siraya People is in southwestern Taiwan, primarily today’s Tainan, Kaohsiung, and parts of Chiayi Counties. The Siraya People speak their own language which is a member of the Austronesian Family of Languages. The Siriyan People are currently classified as a “Plains Indigenous” group and are not currently officially recognized by the central government of the Republic of China on the Island of Taiwan.

  • The Siraya People occupy an important place: (i.) in the colonial-era history of the Island of Taiwan; (ii.) in the development of written Indigenous languages of the Austronesian Peoples; and (iii) in current debates over recognition & historical justice for the Indigenous Peoples of the Island of Taiwan. The Siraya also challenge the idea that cultural identity among the Indigeneous People Groups on the Island of Taiwan is limited to mountain peoples alone.

  • The Siraya played a major role in Taiwan’s early written history. In the 17th century, they were among the first Indigenous peoples encountered by Dutch colonizers of the Dutch East India Company). The Dutch missionaries created Romanized scripts, of the Siraya language, making Siraya one of the earliest Indigenous languages in Taiwan to be presented in written form. The Sinckan Manuscripts are land contracts written in Siraya using Roman letters and are among Taiwan’s most important historical documents.

  • The Siraya People have a traditional matrilineal social structure, with inheritance passed through the mother. Villages were autonomous but culturally connected. Leadership often involved ritual authority rather than centralized political power.
    Beliefs and Spiritual Life.

  • The Siraya hold a belief system that is based on animism. THe spiritual life of the Siraya People emphasizes nature spirits & ancestral forces. Important religious specialists include female shamans. Seasonal rituals are tied to agriculture, especially the cultivation of rice.

  • The Siraya language is now considered extinct as a daily spoken language although linguistic records from Dutch-era texts survive. The Siraya Language is closely related to other Plains Indigenous languages such as Taivoan & Makatao. Modern revitalization efforts aim to reconstruct & teach the Siraya language to younger generations.

  • From the Qing dynasty onward, the Siraya People experienced heavy intermarriage with Han settlers. This led to loss of tribal lands & suppression of the native culture. Many Siraya descendants were reclassified as Han Chinese despite retaining their Indigenous ancestry.

  • Today, tens of thousands of people on the Island of Taiwan identify as Siraya or Siraya descendants. Several local governments (notably Tainan City) recognize Siraya identity at the municipal level. The Siraya are part of the broader movement for recognition of Plains Indigenous Peoples, alongside groups like the Taivoa & Makatao People Groups. Formal recognition of the Indigenous People Groups is a major political & cultural issue on the Island of Taiwan.

  • taiwaninsight.org – “Unrecognised Indigenous Groups of Taiwan and their Struggle for Language Revival” @ Taiwan Insight e-zine (an online magazine of The Taiwan Research Hub, a research centre based at the University of Nottingham (U.K.) focusing on contemporary Taiwan). 
  • taiwaninsight.org – Indigenous Recognition for Siraya People @ Taiwan Insight e-zine (an online magazine of The Taiwan Research Hub, a research centre based at the University of Nottingham (U.K.) focusing on contemporary Taiwan). 

  • thenewslens.com – The Siraya’s Fight for Recognition in Taiwan @ The News Lens website

  • iwgia.org – The Indigenous World 2022: Taiwan @ IWGIA – International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs – a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting & defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

  • cip.gov.tw – The Siraya People Submit a Petition for Ethnic Recognition: The CIP Will Act in Accordance with Constitutional Court Ruling
  • thediplomat.com – Taiwan’s Pingpu Peoples One Step Closer to Recognition
  • thediplomat.com – Meet Taiwan’s Newest Official Indigenous Group

  • taiwan-panorama.com – A Brief Introduction to the Sirayans @ Taiwan Panorama e-zine
  • taiwan-panorama.com – In Search of a Forgotten Mother –A Journey Through the Land of the Siraya
  • taiwan-panorama.com – The Transformation of Abandoned Assets —A Journey to the Siraya National Scenic Area

  • ndhu.edu.tw – Siraya Peoples’ Kong-Ā-Nā Tribal Community Research Project
  • nomadit.co.uk – Enhancing ethnic identity through the revitalization of ethnographic collections: the indigenous status recognition movement of Pingpu People in Taiwan 
  • newbloommag.net – Siraya Groups Take Stand Against KMT Effort to Deny Indigenous Recognition to Pingpu Groups

  • brill.com – Language Revitalisation Using Historical Texts: the Case of Siraya
  • researchgate.net – Heritage and identity: returning to ancestral pathways of the Siraya indigenous archaeology

  • youtube.com – Siraya: The First People To Call Tainan Home @ YouTube . com
  • youtube.com – Siraya Look Forward to Official Indigenous Recognition After Court Victory @ YouTube . com
  • youtube.com – Taiwanese- Filipino Couple Bring Siraya Back to Life @ YouTube . com

  • youtube.com – Gov’t Mulls 3rd Indigenous Category After Siraya Win in Court @ YouTube . com
  • youtube.com – Siraya Language, People & Culture @ YouTube . com
  • youtube.com – Taiwan’s Siraya Indigenous Group Demands Legal Recognition @ YouTube . com

  • EASY SEARCH FOR MORE LINKS ! . . . . .

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LATEST PAGE UPDATE: December 31 , 2025 .
最後一次更新時間為:  2025 / 12 / 31 .

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