Codifying Gaya , Cultivating Hunters: Indigenous Hunting Self‐Governance and Self‐Discipline in Taiwan

Hunting rights have emerged as a central issue in debates over Indigenous peoples’ legal and political rights in Taiwan. Recent shifts in state policy and attitudes toward Indigenous hunting have opened a space for new explorations into techniques of protecting Indigenous hunting activities and territories, while also incorporating elements of government oversight and scientific monitoring. This article examines the recent movement of Indigenous hunting self‐governance systems in Taiwan, which delegate authority over wildlife management on Indigenous territories to local communities, and considers how Indigenous communities are engaging with these new systems in their pursuits for recognition and self‐determination. A key component of these systems is the preparation of hunting self‐governance and self‐discipline conventions. Drafted by local hunters’ associations in collaboration with government personnel and scientists, these conventions work across multiple domains of law and knowledge as they articulate the rules and norms governing hunting activities on Indigenous territories. Drawing on ethnographic research and documentary analysis, this article focuses on the experiences of the Truku community of Dowmung in eastern Taiwan as it prepared a hunting convention. Practices of interlegality and self‐discipline formed two key elements of restoring Truku sovereignty as local hunters used the convention to establish a hunting regime recognizing Truku legalities and challenged the disruptions caused by colonialism in their community.