In order to implement the spirit of tribal autonomy outlined in Article 2, paragraph 1 of the “Indigenous Peoples Basic Law,” the Council of Indigenous Peoples officially activated “The Pilot Project of Tribal Public Juristic Person” on April 7, 2025. Five tribes—Atolan Tribe of Taitung County, Kalibuan Tribe of Nantou County, Tjanaqasiya Tribe of Pingtung County, Pangwi Tribe of Pingtung County, and Sakar Tribe of Hualien County—were selected as the first for demonstration, aiming to conduct practical verification and system construction to officially take a significant step in promoting the tribal autonomy system. The Council of Indigenous Peoples noted that the five selected tribes represent different ethnic groups and differ considerably in population, environment, traditional systems, and tribal organization. Despite these variations, they all meet the necessary criteria: each has a clearly defined territorial scope, a stable tribal decision-making system, a strong sense of ethnic identity, and a high level of participation and initiative. The outcomes of these pilot projects will provide a crucial foundation for the future formulation of the Regulations on the Establishment of Indigenous Tribal Public Juristic Persons. It is hoped that through these pilot initiatives, the future system design will more closely align with the needs of the tribes and the realities of their day-to-day operations.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples also announced the formulation of the “Regulations for Tribal Convention.” The Council of Indigenous Peoples particularly emphasized that the establishment of the “tribal council” system is in accordance with the authorization of Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law to strengthen the autonomy governance of the tribes, which does not exclude or ignore the importance of the legal system of tribal public juristic persons. Additionally, the analysis report of the Legislative Research Bureau of the Legislative Yuan stated that the legal authorization of tribal public juristic persons is insufficient. Therefore, the priority is to establish a mechanism for discussion and decision-making regarding tribal autonomy to address the current urgent needs of tribes concerning collective expression, internal governance, and participation in public affairs.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples underscored that tribes have always been the most fundamental governance units of indigenous peoples historically. Through the implementation and verification of the pilot project of tribal public juristic persons, it will serve as an important reference for the future establishment of systems and formulation of regulations.