Paper short abstract:

This study examines the ethnic identity formation of Siraya people in the context of Pingpu aboriginal recertification movement in Taiwan. As a result, it indicates that the revitalization of the ethnological collections plays an important role in building up ethnic identity of Siraya people.

Paper long abstract:

The purpose of this study is to examine the construction of Siraya peoples' ethnic identity by exploring the process of how ethnological collections has been revitalized in the context of Pingpu aboriginal recertification movement in Taiwan.

As a multicultural society, there is still a group of people―called Siraya which has been marginalized and excluded from statutory indigenous people in Taiwan. From 2013 Council of Indigenous People has started to subsidize the development plans for Pingpu people.

By using the subvention from government, Siraya people revitalized their traditional embroidery by referencing to Siraya clothing collections in the museums. They also used embroidery patterns when building cultural monuments. By doing so, they could reunite collective consciousness.

This study indicates that developing interaction with exterior institutions such as Council of Indigenous People or museums cultivates the ethnic identity of Siraya people. However, although the government have included Pingpu People into the category of Taiwan Indigenous People, it only changed the title but not the position in constitution. Due to this situation, Siraya people still have to strive for the reasonable position in Constitution by revitalizing their own culture continually.