The Subjectivity Discourse of Indigenous Peoples Self Media in Taiwan

In recent years, Taiwan's grassroots Indigenous alternative media has seen the rise of a significant number of Indigenous online social media platforms. When mainstream media or social media present news or opinions regarding Indigenous peoples, these Indigenous social media outlets actively present Indigenous perspectives on the issues. They voice their positions from an ethnic subjectivity standpoint, attempting to deconstruct and critique the hegemonic discourse conveyed by mainstream society and media, exposing the ideologies they produce and reproduce, as well as the power structures they construct. The analysis in this study focuses primarily on the discourse from two of the most vocal and radical Indigenous social media fan pages: “Buan Moon Speaks Moon Calendar” and “A Daily Dose of Bunun Language! mapasnava Bunun saikin” The selected discourse texts cover the period from 2020 to 2024, beginning by listing the more significant Indigenous social issues during this period, alongside the mainstream societal narratives presented in response. Following this, the study outlines the discourse expressed by Indigenous social media after these events and conducts a discourse analysis of these responses. The research primarily examines how the discourse created and published by these Indigenous social media platforms constructs and expresses “counter-discourse” against mainstream societal perspectives, develops strategies for resistance, and highlights various discourse methods for the reassertion of Indigenous subjectivity. It also demonstrates how they position themselves and assert their right to interpret and voice their perspectives.