Colonial traditions and indigenous language recognition: insights from Taiwan and Canada

The momentum toward Indigenous language rights affirmation is relatively recent in liberal democracies, and its dynamics aren’t fully understood. What determines the adoption and content of Indigenous language policies and laws? How does the nature of state and Indigenous institutions influence Indigenous language policy? Are some models of Indigenous-state relations more effective than others in fostering Indigenous cultural revitalisation? This paper throws light on these questions by comparing the adoption of Taiwan’s Indigenous Languages Development Act (2017) and of Canada’s Indigenous Languages Act (2019). Adopting a historical institutionalist approach known as the State Tradition and Language Regime (STLR) framework, the paper reflects on how different institutions, practices and ideologies pertaining to Indigenous-state relations and language planning make for different approaches to Indigenous language recognition and revitalisation – as hinted in the drafting process and content of the two countries’ respective Acts. Overall, this exploratory paper draws insights into Indigenous language policy-making in vastly different yet fully comparable contexts. Investigating the workings and influences of colonial traditions on Indigenous policy is particularly important at this time of sustained demands for Indigenous-state institutional reform, as it can help us grasp the effectiveness, legitimacy and unintended consequences of different institutional arrangements.