Taiwan: The future for the aboriginal people after Typhoon Morakot · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan Aug. 7-9, triggering the worst flooding in 50 years in southern Taiwan and leading to landslides that buried remote mountainous villages and tribal settlements. In order to speed up the post-disaster reconstruction, the Legislative Yuan passed an urgent special statute to raise a special budget on 27 of August. However, the Statue  authorizes governments at all levels to impose compulsory relocation of villages or tribal settlements from areas vulnerable to floods and landslides to safer areas. For aboriginal people, the geographical location and tribal community are crucial to the preservation of their culture and tradition, many are worried that the “compulsory relocation policy” would make their more vulnerable in the future.
Home buried in mud
imagelight visited Mashia village and reported,
橋樑房屋無一倖免，全被土石流吞噬…村裡像是剛戰爭過一樣…還有二十幾名村民被埋在土石堆裡。
由於道路不通，電力一直無法恢復…晚餐五點多就開始吃了，就是怕天色暗了夾不到菜…現在要清理道路，就是希望可以將山上的水果運送到山下去賣，順道帶幾部發電機回來。
After the typhoon, many people from other less affected aboriginal villages bring food and generators across the mountains to these isolated villages. Judie reported,
遠從宜蘭、桃園、新竹來的泰雅族勇士(包括女性)，以最簡單的提袋(ka-chi-a)綁上綿繩和塑膠水管當背包，揹著重重的民生物資，徒步越過已不成路的土石堆，進入鄒族部落。這樣的行動持續超過兩個禮拜。
The government asks the survivors to evacuate, but many of the villagers prefer to stay in the villages. Gaea explained their reasons.
居民不願下山「是擔心政府之後就不開路，我們就回不了家」…「下了山，我們就不是『居 民』，而是『難民』。」三民國中教師葉一萱指出，原住民離開部落，幾乎不受任何法律保障。
Culture and social network
In addition to material damages, the Typhoon has also destroyed aboriginal people's culture heritage. Airportman said that in Hsiaoliin village,
平埔族聚落幾乎覆滅，他們辛苦活化起來的大滿族文化、夜祭、公廨都淹沒在泥土裡。
Furthermore, for the aboriginal people who have been evacuated, gaea said they will be more vulnerable.
必須面對部落分散的狀況，對原住民來說，等同另一種毀滅。
Village relocation and Post-Disaster Recovery Statue
Coolloud, a citizen media website, discussed about the Post-Disaster Recovery Statue《莫拉克風災重建條例》:
中央政府、縣市政府得就災區安全堪慮或違法濫建之土地，劃定特定區域，限制居住或限期強迫遷居、遷村。金惠雯批評，此條文無限擴張政府權力，完全沒有原住民參與遷村決策的機制。
gaea reported that before the Post-Disaster Recovery Statue was passed
災區部落的代表與民間社團前往立院靜坐抗議…要求「強制遷村」應拿掉，以及「應取得部落同意」的訴求。
coolloud discussed the possibility of reaching a consensus:
金惠雯說，遷村議題一定要回到原住民「傳統領域」的概念，讓原住民保有傳統領域，再由原民住他們選擇安居適合的遷村地址。
The government has a mortgage plan for the survivors, but kikisweets said there are still many problems for the survivors to rebuild their home.
貸款的申請期限僅僅只有一年，意味著在一年內必須要決定該在哪居住。部落的族人依舊希望能夠返回家鄉居住，然而面對消失的土地以及外界專業學者的建議，原地重建的機會渺茫，不得不向外另尋住所…嘉蘭真正需要的是實際的經濟援助，以及未來安置上的專業規劃與建議，家園失去了，族人之間的聯繫與文化是不能失去的。
時間一天天的過去，族人們究竟該何去何從？