In response to Indigenous Peoples’ Day on August 1st and to promote public understanding of the hunting autonomous governance of the indigenous peoples, as well as to advance cultural equality and the concept of forest co-management, the Chiayi Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA Chiayi), in collaboration with the Chiayi County Tsou Hunter Association, held the “Mountains and Forests of the Tsou - Hunting Culture Sharing Session” at the FANCA on July 31st. The session also included the book launch of a’ausna ta hupa maitan’e (Discussions of the Mountains: An Account of Tsou Hunters’ Forest Co-Management Practices). Through keynote speeches, video recordings, and displays of books and artifacts, the event brought together Tsou hunters, cultural workers, and scholars to share knowledge about the mountains and forests. Participants were guided on a journey to rediscover the value of the hunting culture and the major achievements in promoting indigenous participation in forest co-management. Hunting Autonomous Governance System Bearing Witness to Development of Forest Co-Management In recent years, the FANCA Chiayi has collaborated with the Chiayi County Tsou Hunter Association, tribal communities, and academic teams to promote a hunting autonomous governance system. This system has established a mechanism for hunting result feedback, self-regulatory agreements, hunter training, and scientific monitoring of wildlife. Through joint governance by the government and tribal communities, this endeavor has created a forest management model that balances cultural heritage preservation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use. This model demonstrates a new paradigm of cooperation between traditional ecological knowledge and modern conservation systems, embodying the spirit of “rooted in traditional culture and based on modern management.” a’ausna ta hupa maitan’e: Witnessing Mountain Forest Ethics and Cultural Wisdom, Hunting Culture Forum Creates a Dialogue Platform for Co-Management of Mountains and Forests The FANCA Chiayi collaborated with the Chiayi County Tsou Hunter Association to publish a’ausna ta hupa maitan’e, providing a complete record of the establishment of the Tsou Hunter Association as well as the key accomplishments achieved across the six Tsou Hunting Culture Forums organized by the association since 2020. It also included the development trajectory of forest co-management between the tribal communities, government agencies, and academia. The forums not only facilitated in-depth dialogue between traditional tribal ecological knowledge and modern science, but also gradually built mutual trust between the government and the tribal communities, becoming an important public platform for promoting hunting autonomous governance, co-management of mountains and forests, and cultural equality. The forums also helped to accumulate valuable experience for the governance of Taiwan’s natural resources. The publication presents how the Tsou people have sought a balance between cultural heritage, ecological conservation, and modern institutions by examining the development of institutions, recounting hunters’ stories, and providing diverse perspectives. It also showcases the important achievements of different knowledge systems in building mutual trust through continuous dialogue and jointly protecting forests, biodiversity, and cultural assets. This event invited Pasuya Poiconʉ, a member of the Control Yuan, and Yangu’e Poiconʉ, chairperson of the Chiayi County Tsou Hunter Association, to share their experiences in Tsou hunting culture, cultural equality, and hunting autonomous governance. The event also included cultural achievement displays as well as a video and artifact exhibition, thereby helping the public gain a deeper understanding of the inseparable cultural connection between Tsou hunters and the mountains and forests. The FANCA Chiayi emphasized that a’ausna ta hupa maitan’e is not only an important work recording the Tsou people’s hunting culture and forest co-management, but also a record of actions in understanding, dialogue, and co-governance. In the future, the FANCA Chiayi will continue to work with indigenous tribes and partners from all walks of life to deepen cooperation and jointly promote a mountain forest partnership that takes into account cultural heritage, nature conservation, and sustainable management, thus creating a new chapter in the co-management of Taiwan’s mountains and forests.
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