Kavalan organizations have recently voiced concerns to the media regarding the draft Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act, fearing that Kavalan people could be divided into two categories in the future: “Plains Indigenous” and “Lowland Indigenous.” In response, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) clarified today that it is already common practice in the current legal framework for members of the same tribe to hold different legal statuses. The draft legislation is designed to provide a legal pathway for those who, in the past, did not register their indigenous identity, so they may claim official recognition.

The CIP explained that the term “ethnic group” refers to people’s culture, lineage, and self-identity, for example, the Kavalan people. “Status,” on the other hand, refers to a legal classification designated by the state based on historical and legal frameworks, such as “Mountain Indigenous” and “Lowland Indigenous.” As an example, the Saisiyat people are divided in the current system: those in Wufeng Township, Hsinchu County, are classified as Mountain Indigenous, while those in Nanzhuang and Shitan Townships in Miaoli County are classified as Lowland Indigenous. In fact, similar situations exist across many indigenous groups, making different statuses within the same people a longstanding legal norm.

The CIP further noted that, historically, some Kavalan people were forced to migrate from the Lanyang Plain to Hualien, where they preserved more of their traditional culture and language. In the 1950s, those who registered under the Taiwan Provincial Government’s system obtained Lowland Indigenous status. However, those who did not register at that time were left without any legally recognized indigenous identity.