Summer Study Abroad Course Collaborate between University of Ottawa and College of Indigenous Studies

To promote international indigenous academic collaboration and exchange, University of Ottawa and the Center for International Indigenous Affairs (CIIA), College of Indigenous Studies (CIS) collaborated on a field research course entitled ‘Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan’, during which 14 students of the University of Ottawa will join students at CIS, experience local indigenous cultures and conduct fieldwork.

This course is led by Professor Scott Simon, who has engaged in Taiwan indigenous studies for many years and knows Hualien indigenous communities and cultures very well. His aim for this course is to offer students an alternative perspective to understanding Taiwan and through interaction between students from both universities, build a platform for future international collaboration.

The course began on May 4^th with a welcoming ceremony hosted by Dr. Jolan Hsieh, Director of CIIA, the CIS Dance Troupe and students in the ‘Indigenous Community Tourism’ course to receive the students from University of Ottawa into CIS. At this greeting event, Prof. Hsieh thanked University of Ottawa, Professor Simon and staff members at NDHU for making this international collaboration possible.

In line with the fact that the University of Ottawa teaches in both French and English, CIS hosted the activities at the welcoming ceremony in Truku (indigenous language), English and French. Professor Apay Tong welcomed everyone in Truku, students of CIS, Chi-hsuan Lai and Hsin-ing Lin, hosted in English and French respectively. Students participating in the event were nervous and excited. As a student from the English-taught “Indigenous Community Tourism’ I-ru Wang explained, this is her first time interacting with foreign college students at CIS and that she looks forward to more international collaborations in the future so students have the opportunity to learn about other cultures.

This 3-week course will take place between May 4^th to the 24^th, Other than Professors Scott Simon and Jolan Hsieh, Prof. Cheng-feng Shih, Teh-i Kao, Yi-fong Chen, Joyce Yeh, Apay Tong, Yi-tzu Lee at CIS, as well as Prof. Umin Ru from Taipei Medical University and Sifo Lakaw, CEO of Hualien Indigenous Community College. The students will visit Kaluluan and Shakadang for multi-day fieldtrips learning about Pangcah and Truku cultures.

【PUBLICATIONS】

International Education and Indigenous Peoples: Canadian Students in Taiwan I

International Education and Indigenous Peoples: Canadian Students in Taiwan II