Last Updated on May 8, 2016
Over the last four hundred years, Taiwan has been placed under colonial rule by the Dutch (1623–1662), the Spanish (1626–1642), the Japanese (1895–1945), and the Chinese (1683–1895, 1945–1987). Each regime left their own footprint on this island; but only the Indigenous Peoples of the island experienced them all.
This atypical colonization process brought immense challenges to the island’s inhabitants, who were forced to endure and adapt to the views and agendas of each new colonizing force.
The Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan (more often referred to as Aboriginals or Aborigines) were brought to edge of extinction; but that was then. Today, they are gradually reclaiming their cultures and languages and reasserting their rights as distinct peoples. In The Mountain, we learn about the history of this ‘recertification movement’ through the life of Teymu Teylong, a Truku elder that was born during Japan’s colonial rule.
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to
support independent Indigenous journalism.
Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
