James Clifford's 'Indigenous Articulations' as Travelling Theory? The Search for Sustainability in Theorising Taiwan's Indigenous and Han Populations

In 2000, the noted scholar James Clifford delivered an address entitled 'Indigenous Articulations' in which he challenged dichotomies of authenticity/inauthenticity that plague theories of indigeneity in the Pacific region. Today, 'Indigenous Articulations' has travelled far beyond its original audience, and some Taiwanese scholars who analyse the literature/culture of Taiwan's indigenous peoples have adopted this work. Yet, in contrast to Clifford, these scholars have used 'Indigenous Articulations' to simultaneously explain indigenous and Han Taiwanese populations, positing Han-indigenous creolisation as preferable to indigenous self-determination. In this paper, I adopt travelling theory to examine 'Indigenous Articulations' and its movement to Taiwan studies. I then consider the works of Kuei-fen Chiu and Hueichu Chu to show how they use 'Indigenous Articulations' to support a creolised existence for Han and indigenous populations on Taiwan. Finally, I explore tensions between theoretical and ethical sustainability in Taiwan studies and possibilities for recognising indigenous rights in this field.