Siraya update

[Chun Jimmy Huang]

Thanks Heather,

just to comment on this: (Of course, our case may be very 
different from yours in that our leaders have privileged one 
language over all the others our people traditionally speak....)

In fact, the one and only official, national, and most dominant 
language in Taiwan today, Mandarin Chinese, was brought to the 
island by the Chinese nationalists in 1945. Before 1945, NO ONE 
(either Austronesian indigenes or other early Han immigrants) 
spoke the language...

Jimmy

On Fri May 15 20:23:15 EDT 2009, Heather Souter 
<hsouter at GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Taanshi, hello, Chun/Jimmy,
> 
> I have been following the story of the Siraya people's struggle 
> through
> ILAT.  I just want to thank you for sharing this information with 
> us and
> encourage you and Siraya people to continue on.  I am glad to 
> hear that you
> are keeping your eyes and hearts on "(re)connection with your 
> foremothers"!
> When struggling against a large central government, it is easy to 
> get sucked
> into the other side's rhetoric....  I have seen (and continue to 
> see)
> language used as a political tool for "nation-building" by our 
> leaders to
> the detriment of the grassroots people.  (Of course, our case may 
> be very
> different from yours in that our leaders have privileged one 
> language over
> all the others our people traditionally speak....)  Anyhow, it is 
> good to
> hear that you are keeping your focus on what is most important to 
> you as
> people....
> 
> Eekoshi pitamaa. That is all for now.
> Heather
> Michif (Metis) from Manitoba, Canada
>