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202310/11
The Chiayi Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, collaborated with the Tsou tribal communities of Saviki and Niae’ucna in Alishan Township, Chiayi County this year (2023) to rename the protection forest designated as No. 1915 to “Tanayiku Protection Forest” and “C'oc'osʉ Protection Forest” respectively based on the traditional territories of each tribe. This makes it the first protection forest in Taiwan to have two names at the same time. This act reflects the respect of the Chiayi Branch for the traditional territories and autonomy of indigenous peoples.
Protection forest No. 1915 spans the villages of Saviki and Niae’ucna in Alishan Township, Chiayi County, and it was designated as a protection forest in 1936. The lush forest protects the surrounding environment of the tribal communities, not only preventing landslides but also nurturing the rivers and streams, allowing it to become a traditional tribal hunting and fishing ground. To strengthen the emotional connection between the local communities and the protection forest, and to encourage the public to become more familiar with protection forests, the Chiayi Branch has been actively promoting the participation of residents in naming protection forests in recent years. During interviews with Saviki and Niae’ucna tribal communities to collect data on the naming, the elders emphasized the use of different areas within Protection Forest No. 1915 by each tribe and the need to name them separately to highlight their cultural and historical values.
To resolve this issue, the Chiayi Branch held meetings with tribal elders and experienced hunters from the communities to record the traditional Tsou names of various areas within Protection Forest No. 1915, in order to help the communities preserve valuable cultural and historical information. Through in-depth discussions and negotiations with the Natural Resources Co-Management Committee of the Tsou People, representatives from both tribal communities named the protection forest based on their traditional territories respectively - “Tanayiku Protection Forest” of the Saviki Tribal Community and “C'oc'osʉ Protection Forest” of the Niae’ucna Tribal Community.
Chang Tai, Director of the Chiayi Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, said, “It is a great honor to participate in this historically significant naming process. The two names of the protection forest reflect the cultural diversity of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and demonstrates our respect for their tribal cultures.” This is the first time that a protection forest in Taiwan has been given two names at the same time, highlighting a new milestone in the co-management of forest resources with the indigenous communities, which not only honors the indigenous culture but also strengthens the commitment of all parties to jointly safeguard the ecological and cultural values, thus embodying the common mission of protecting the natural environment and cultural heritage.