TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) spoke at a Mother’s Day event to honor Taiwan’s Indigenous languages and cultures on Sunday (May 14).
Tsai wished the country a “Happy Mother’s Day" and thanked mothers for their hard work and dedication to their families and communities. “I hope for each mother to give themselves a bit more encouragement,” she said.
Her speech took place at the 2023 Indigenous Languages Mother’s Day Celebration hosted by the Council of Indigenous Peoples. Fifty-three women from Indigenous groups were honored for their work to preserve and transmit Taiwan’s Indigenous languages, reported CNA.
Chair of the Council of Indigenous Council Icyang Parod also spoke, commending Indigenous mothers for raising their children in their first language, as this act alone is essential for language preservation. Each of the mothers selected received public praise from the Council and a NT$10,000 award.
Tsai noted that maintaining language traditions is indispensable to Taiwan’s culture. She also noted that the government has invested extensively in ensuring local languages are not lost.
She touted the passage of the 2017 Indigenous Language Development Act, and the fact that this year’s annual budget to further the development of Indigenous languages is NT$1.8 billion (US$58 million), the highest in history.