Historically, before Han Chinese from Mainland China began migrating to Taiwan on a large scale, the residents of the plains had no written language, nor did they possess concepts of a “nation” or “race.” Consequently, they were collectively referred to as the “Pingpu tribes.”
If categorized by regional tribes, there were various distinct ethnic names: the Pingpu of Yilan were known as the “Kavalan,” the Taipei group as the “Ketagalan,” the Taichung group as the “Pazeh,” and the Tainan group as the “Siraya.” The residents of the Anping area in Tainan at that time belonged to a branch of the Siraya. Today, these groups are collectively referred to as “Indigenous Peoples.”
However, according to modern investigations, these so-called Indigenous groups are actually just immigrants who migrated to Taiwan from Southern China at an earlier stage. Their legends often describe “Negritos” (Small Black People), who are now recognized as even earlier inhabitants. Much like the Negrito legends in Japan, these people vanished from the world after their lands were seized by the Taiwanese Indigenous tribes and the Japanese Yamato people. Today, only a small number of Negrito descendants remain in the forests of Southeast Asia.
Interestingly, these Negritos were originally widely distributed across Southeast Asia. Long ago, they were forced away from their homelands by Han Chinese migrating into Southeast Asia. These Han Chinese then remained in the region, intermarrying with surrounding ethnic minorities to form the diverse modern ethnicities of Southeast Asia.
As for the Negritos who once existed in the history of Taiwan and Japan, it remains unknown whether they first dispersed via the sea, or if they fled to Taiwan and Japan after being driven out by Han Chinese. Furthermore, it is unclear if the pre-residents of the Fujian region (the ancestors of today’s Taiwanese Indigenous people) were also driven to Taiwan by Han Chinese, subsequently displacing the Negritos they found there.
Therefore, the term “Indigenous” is somewhat imprecise; it is a designation established by the government primarily for the purpose of providing care and support. In terms of historical accuracy, calling them “Pre-residents” (Xianzhumin) would be a more precise term.
Read More: