On Oct. 13, the Internal Administration Committee of the Legislative Yuan convened a committee meeting (4th period of the 10th term), inviting the CIP to report on its business promotion results. Soon after, CIP Minister Icyang Parod presented CIP’s business report in the Amis language (please refer to the attachment for details) for the entirety of the meeting, marking the first time that a report was delivered solely in an indigenous language at the Legislative Yuan. At the same time, international conference-level simultaneous interpretation was offered onsite to translate Mr. Icyang’s speech.

Mr. Icyang remarked that the Indigenous Languages Development Act promulgated in 2017 declared indigenous languages as national languages, with Article 13 of the Act stipulating that “When government agencies operate administrative, legislative affairs and judicial procedures, indigenous peoples may express their views in their indigenous languages; all such government agencies shall employ translators for interpretation.” Accordingly, Mr. Icyang delivered the aforementioned report in an indigenous language, with the intent being to gradually build an indigenous language-friendly space and enforce the Indigenous Languages Development Act.

Mr. Icyang urged the heads of the indigenous peoples commissions/bureaus/departments of local governments as well as those of the 55 township/city/district offices in indigenous regions to enforce the Indigenous Languages Development Act through speaking in indigenous languages, providing simultaneous interpretations for indigenous languages during discussions and meetings, and working together to create indigenous language-friendly environments, so as to allow indigenous languages to become languages used in people’s daily lives, restore the vitality of indigenous languages, and ensure that the budgets invested by the government can deliver their maximum value.