Decolonizing Narratives: Comparing Chinese-Indigenous Conflict Narratives Between History Textbooks and Indigenous Culture Textbooks in Taiwan

• In Event: Accepting Educational Responsibility: Reaffirming the Roles of Indigenous Languages and Practices

Abstract

Historical narratives concerning Chinese-Indigenous interactions in Taiwan’s curriculum have long been dominated by Chinese settler viewpoints and lack Indigenous standpoints. Recently, a new set of Indigenous textbooks were published as the curriculum veered towards respecting diversity. This study compared narratives between history textbooks and Indigenous culture textbooks on Chinese-Indigenous conflicts. Informed by settler colonialism theory, the researcher examined settler colonial mentality in history textbooks and explored Indigenous anti-colonial standpoints in Indigenous textbooks. Research data included secondary history textbooks and secondary Indigenous culture textbooks utilized in Taiwanese schools. The comparative analysis revealed that a juxtaposition of different textbook narratives highlights the glaring omission of Indigenous viewpoints by the Chinese textbooks and also demonstrates the aim of reclaiming narratives by Indigenous textbooks.

Author

• Yann-Ru Ho, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University