We Are Not Content Enviornmental Exploitation against Taiwan's Minority Populations

Abstract

The following research paper highlights the projects, policies, and initiatives that negatively impacted Taiwan's indigenous and Hakka populations from early Dutch Colonization and Japanese Occupation to topical conflicts such as ecotourism and sweeping excavation projects. A brief introduction details Taiwanese historiography, its shortcomings, and alternative attempts by scholars to craft a "new" historical narrative that encompasses minority populations beyond established "colonizer vs. colonized" mentalities. Despite an extensive history of environmental exploitation at the hands of various imperialist forces and the emergence of pollutant-heavy industries, indigenous environmental rights are gradually improving. This paper concludes with a contemporary analysis of succesful environmental rights movements at the dawn of President Tsai Ing-wen's formal apology to indigenous groups in 2016.