An ethnographic study of recognition struggles in a Bunun Indigenous key elementary school in Taiwan

This study aims to explore the struggles of recognition that Bunun Indigenous students face within Taiwan’s educational system through examining how a Bunun-centric elementary school sustains its tribal culture within a mainstream education system. Employing Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition as an analytical framework, the research focuses on three dimensions: emotional support (love), cognitive respect (rights), and social esteem (solidarity). Through an ethnographic approach involving fieldwork, interviews, and participant observation, the study investigates how Bunun culture is either affirmed or marginalised across school, family, and societal contexts. The findings reveal that, despite the Taiwan government's policies, such as the Indigenous Education Act, intended to support Indigenous cultural preservation, Bunun language and knowledge systems remain at risk of marginalisation and instrumentalization in curriculum design, language education, and societal valuation. In response, this study interprets from the perspective of Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition and indicates the concept of cultural agency, emphasising that students must be granted the freedom, institutional protection, and societal acceptance to shape their own cultural identities. By addressing the limitations of dominant educational paradigms, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of localised Indigenous educational challenges, specifically within the Bunun context, and offers theoretical and policy insights for advancing genuine cultural recognition and equity.