30-second overview: The Penglou peoples did not disappear into Han bloodlines; they were "formatted" by the administrative system. On July 30, 2026, the Siraya were officially recognized as Taiwan's 17th statutory indigenous people, breaking a 30-year deadlock in the naming movement. This shift ends the absurdity of "having no name on the ID card," marking Taiwan's transition from a singular national narrative to a more refined multicultural historical perspective.
The Gavel of History: The Siraya's "17th Tribe" Moment in 2026
On July 30, 2026, Alak Akatuang (萬淑娟), Executive Director of the Tainan Siraya Cultural Association, stood in the spotlight of the Executive Yuan. When Premier John Wu (卓榮泰) struck the gavel to officially recognize the Siraya as Taiwan's 17th statutory indigenous people, it marked the entry of the naming movement into a new legal phase. Alak Akatuang's mood was unexpectedly calm: "This has been a long road; we have long learned to view things pragmatically."1 This historic recognition concretely implemented the constitutional obligations of the Constitutional Court's 2022 "Judgment No. 17 of 2022" (111 憲判字第 17 號), and responded to the Penglou Indigenous Ethnic Group Identity Act passed by the Legislative Yuan in October 2025.23
The Penglou peoples did not disappear into Han bloodlines; they were "formatted" by the administrative operating system—until 2026, when the Siraya officially "revived" from the footnotes of history textbooks.
For a long time, public perception of the Penglou peoples remained stuck in the myths of "Han assimilation and disappearance" or "bloodline fusion." In reality, the disappearance of the Penglou community was a precise administrative erasure, not merely biological extinction. Tracing back to the early days of Japanese rule in 1895, the Governor-General's Office still marked this group living in the plains as "Jukuban" (熟番, Tamed Barbarians) during national surveys, recording them in detail in household registers4.
Administrative Formatting: The Population Myth from 40,000 to "Disappearance"
Historical documents present a startling discrepancy in the population data of the Penglou peoples. Dutch-era household surveys showed that the total population of the Penglou peoples was approximately between 40,000 and 60,0004. By the first temporary Taiwan household survey in 1905 during the early Japanese colonial period, 46,432 people were registered as "Jukuban"4. However, by the 1950s after the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan, due to administrative communication omissions and social discrimination, a large number of clan members failed to complete registration within the prescribed time limit, causing hundreds of thousands to become collectively invisible in official documents5.
The table below presents the estimated population and ethnic proportions of the Penglou peoples during different historical periods:
| Historical Period | Estimated Population | Ethnic Proportion and Background |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch Era (17th Century) | 40,000 - 60,000 | The main ethnic group in the western plains of Taiwan, distributed across more than 150 villages4 |
| Qianlong Reign (Qing Dynasty) | Approximately 50,000 | A surge in Han immigrants; the ratio of Han to Penglou reached 20:14 |
| Early Japanese Rule (1905) | 46,432 | Officially marked as "Jukuban," with clear identity and administrative recognition |
| Contemporary (2026) | Approximately 11,000 (Siraya registered) | Only the number of Tainan Siraya who have completed the "Tamed" designation6 |
📝 Curator's Note: When a people are "formatted" by the state apparatus, the process of reclaiming their name is essentially a war against collective forgetting.
Sleeping Souls: 8 Tribes Waiting for Recognition and Rituals
The recognition of the Siraya is only the first step. Currently, 8 other tribes, including the Kaxabu (噶哈巫), Pazeh (巴宰), and Taokas (道卡斯), are queuing up for ethnic recognition2. Over the past few decades, these tribes have guarded the island's memory through specific rituals and language revitalization.
| Tribe Name | Core Rituals and Cultural Features | Historical Significance and Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pazeh (巴宰族) | Zou-biao (走鏢), Qian-tian (牽田) | "Zou-biao" is a traditional coming-of-age rite; only those who pass the test are eligible for marriage7 |
| Taokas (道卡斯族) | Ju-qi (舉旗), Ancestral Qian-tian | Held after the autumn harvest; the ancestral spirits are welcomed back to the village through the flag-raising ritual8 |
| Taivoan (大武壠族) | Xiang-gang (向缸), Jin-xiang (禁向) | On the 15th day of the 9th lunar month, the "opening" begins; "Xiang-gang" holds the water of souls in jars9 |
| Makatao (馬卡道族) | Gaoliupu Night Festival, Jumping Opera | Traditional festival in Jiapu, Pingtung; preserves ancient Austronesian songs |
| Kaxabu (噶哈巫族) | Tomb-guarding Festival, Alami Festival | Retains a considerable proportion of native language dialogue ability, serving as a model for revitalization |
In Jiali and Dongshan of Tainan, as well as Changbin of Taitung, the cultural spark has never truly extinguished. Filipino musician Edgar L. Macapili (萬益嘉) recalled his shock upon first reading the Gospel of Matthew left by Dutch missionaries: "This language is very similar to the Bisayan spoken by my mother."10 This cross-ocean linguistic resonance became the cornerstone of Siraya language revitalization.
The Legal Frontline: Rights and Controversies Post-2026
The 2026 recognition is just the starting point; the beginning of rights struggle follows. According to Article 23 of the Penglou Indigenous Ethnic Group Identity Act, relevant ministries must inventory and review safeguard measures for political participation, education, and land within three years2.
The most intense debate centers on legislative seats and educational bonus points. The existing 16 indigenous tribes worry that the inclusion of the Penglou peoples will dilute the existing 6 seats of Indigenous Legislative Yuan members and the annual 1% bonus points for indigenous education11. The government's current strategy is the "Principle of Balance," ensuring the identity rights of the Penglou peoples while potentially adopting independent quotas or phased opening in resource allocation to avoid drastic shocks to existing tribes.
📝 Curator's Note: Identity should not be a biological鉴定 (determination), but a commitment to history and land.
The Lost Link of the Austronesian Language Family: Global Significance of Language Revitalization
The languages of the Penglou peoples are a key puzzle piece in the study of the Austronesian language family and the private property of the tribes themselves. Linguists point out that Taiwan is the origin of the Austronesian language family, and the languages of the Penglou peoples (such as Siraya, Pazeh, and Taivoan) retain many ancient phonetic features that gradually simplified after spreading to the Pacific islands10.
As the Siraya language revives through the Gospel of Matthew and the New Port Documents, clan members speak again, and Taiwan reconnects with the international Austronesian academic circle. The 2026 recognition gives Taiwan more complete cultural subjectivity in promoting the "Austronesian Peoples Forum"—this island on the edge of the East Asian continent is also the starting point for Austronesian peoples sailing to the world12.
Looking to the Future: From Identity Puzzle to Complete Historical Perspective
The "revival" of the Penglou peoples marks Taiwan's transition from a singular national narrative to a more refined multicultural historical perspective. From the eyewitness records of the Dutch landing at Tawan in 1624 to the 2026 naming of the Siraya, this four-century voyage ultimately allows the island's earliest guardians to find their coordinates again on the legal map.
When the "Jibeishua" (吉貝耍) Night Festival in Dongshan, Tainan, is upgraded to a state-recognized cultural asset, we truly accept that dust-covered past. This is a victory for the Penglou peoples and for all Taiwanese, completing the long-lost key fragment in the puzzle of identity.
📝 Curator's Note: When the last piece is pieced together, the broken past finally forms a complete future.
Further Reading
- History and Naming Movement of Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples — The complete context from Qing-era "Jukuban" to contemporary naming movements
- Cultural Map of Taiwan's 16 Indigenous Tribes — An overview of the cultural landscapes of recognized tribes
- Prehistoric Era and Indigenous Peoples — The origins of the earliest inhabitants on the island
References
- Penglou Identity Law Passes Third Reading: Alak Akatuang Discusses 20-Year Journey - Taiwan Church News — Records the mindset of Alak Akatuang (Uma Talavan), Executive Director of the Siraya Cultural Association, after the bill's passage, reflecting the clan's pragmatic attitude toward rights.↩
- Executive Yuan Recognizes Siraya as 17th Indigenous Tribe - CNA — Reports the historic moment on July 30, 2026, when the Executive Yuan officially recognized the Siraya as Taiwan's 17th statutory indigenous people, noting that 8 other tribes are still applying.↩
- Penglou Indigenous Ethnic Group Identity Act - National Law Database — The formal legal source passed in 2025, establishing the legal procedures and identity requirements for Penglou peoples to apply for ethnic recognition.↩
- Viewing Penglou Peoples through Historical Data and Demographics - Alleyway Sociology — Provides detailed demographic data from the Dutch era to the Japanese colonial period, analyzing the changing ratio of Han to Penglou peoples.↩
- Historical Turning Points in Penglou Identity - Prof. Shih Cheng-feng's Lab — Analyzes how omissions in the Nationalist government's indigenous registration policies in the 1950s led to the "collective disappearance" of the Penglou peoples in administration.↩
- Siraya Naming Becomes 17th Tribe - United Daily News — Mentions the statistical data of Tainan Siraya who have completed ethnic identity recognition.↩
- Pazeh Qian-tian and Zou-biao - National Cultural Memory Bank — Details the cultural significance of the Pazeh traditional New Year rituals "Zou-biao" and "Qian-tian."↩
- Taokas Xingang She Qian-tian - National Cultural Assets Network — Records the ritual process and intangible cultural asset value of the Taokas ancestral harvest festival "Qian-tian."↩
- Rara ka Maka-Taivoan! Our Taivoan Language - Taivoan Penglou Cultural Association — Introduces the current status of Taivoan language revitalization, demonstrating the resilience of Penglou peoples in cultural subjectivity.↩
- Siraya Language Revitalization: From the Gospel of Matthew to Daily Dialogue - National Taiwan Museum — Details how Filipino musician Edgar L. Macapili miraculously revived the Siraya language through Dutch documents and Bible translations.↩
- Indigenous Peoples vs. Indigenous Peoples: Internal Controversies in the Naming Movement - Indigenous Youth Front — Discusses tensions and dialogues between existing indigenous peoples and Penglou peoples regarding resource allocation and identity recognition.↩
- Cabinet officially recognizes Siraya as Taiwan's 17th Indigenous tribe - Focus Taiwan — English report on the Siraya naming event, providing an international perspective on the progress of Taiwan's indigenous rights movement.↩