| Abstract |
The Taroko National Park is a mountain-type park famous internationally in its marble gorge. The area covers a large area that Truku tribe used to earn their livelihood by hunting, mining, and lumbering. The purpose of the study is to scrutinize the impacts of Taroko National Park on indigenous people by understanding cognitive difference between indigenous and non-indigenous park employees in national land policies, government strategies in protecting and conserving natural resources, as well as Taroko Parkˇ¦s operation and management.
Based on in-depth interview and survey design, the study found that the majority of indigenous employees in Taroko National Park, over 86%, are willing to support and participate in Parkˇ¦s activities. Over three-quarters also express high expectation in proposals undertaking operation and management of the Park. In particular, they anticipate the government to consolidate relevant legislation and launches National Park Acts that respect the rights of indigenous people. The government should assist indigenous people to re-establish a harmonious relationship with the nature. By incorporating their wisdom and ideology into land usage and resource preservation, indigenous people have the opportunity to take part in the operation and management of national parks, and in turn, to reserve their culture and to guarantee their quality of living.
To summarize, the study proposes five recommendations: 1. empower cross-cultural communication skills, especially for top-level management; 2. organize open examinations for national park employees to affirm their qualifications and thus allow reasonable returns and benefits at work; 3) establish licensing system to acknowledge the special skills of indigenous people; 4) invest and participate in indigenous community on an on-going basis to promote indigenous culture and to raise educational level among indigenous people;5) involve indigenous people in the amendment of National park Acts by engaging them in every stage of the process.
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