To highlight the precious bond between Taiwanese indigenous people and New Zealand Māori people, on Aug. 9 (the International Day of the Indigenous People), Stephanie Lee (Acting Director of New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office) invited Icyang Parod (minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples) to participate in a joint video filming.

In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly set Aug. 9 as the International Day of the Indigenous People and proclaimed 1995-2004 as the (first) International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, strengthening the cooperation between specialized agencies, regional commissions, and international organizations under the United Nations system, and helping United Nations member states make improvements to indigenous people-related issues such as human rights, environment, development, education, and health.

In the video, Minister Icyang Parod indicated that both Taiwanese indigenous people and New Zealand Māori people belong to the Austronesian family. In recent years, both parties have worked jointly to promote their respective languages, cultures, economics, trades, tourism, films, television, education, and various domains, with both parties cherishing their partnership profoundly. Acting Director Lee remarked that as of today, there are approximately 370 million indigenous people worldwide and roughly 5,000+ different indigenous groups and cultures. Among such indigenous groups, the Indigenous groups of Taiwan and New Zealand share close bonds due to their similarities in language and culture and face the same challenges presented by the modern society. Finally, Minister Icyang Parod and Acting Director Lee chanted the slogans Kia kaha! (Māori language) and Sa’icelen! (Amis language) to cheer on indigenous people worldwide.