The 2025 International Forum on Tsou Knowledge Construction and Global Indigenous Education Practices, hosted by the Center for Tsou Knowledge and Indigenous Education at National Chung Cheng University (CCU), successfully concluded on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. The forum featured distinguished guests, including Dr. Colby Smart, Deputy Superintendent of the Humboldt County Office of Education (California, USA), along with other education professionals. They joined Taiwanese Indigenous scholars to discuss how traditional knowledge could be integrated into modern educational systems, highlighting its cultural significance and value.
The forum included three keynote speeches and a panel discussion, focusing on the development and challenges of Indigenous education. The first session, led by Sheng-Yao Cheng, Director of the Center for Tsou Knowledge, examined current trends and local practices in Indigenous education. Cheng also reflected on the possibilities of establishing Indigenous schools or autonomous educational systems in Taiwan.
The second session featured Dr. Colby Smart and Principal Maggie Peters of Hoopa Valley High School, focusing on California's Indigenous curriculum. They shared the background and curriculum design strategies supporting Native education in the state and discussed how these efforts addressed community needs and promoted educational equity.
The third session, led by Peter Stoll, an education scholar from Humboldt County, explored restorative justice in Native American communities. His talk delved into its philosophies, implementation models, and systemic challenges, offering cultural and educational perspectives.
Through rich examples of multicultural educational practice, attendees engaged in meaningful dialogue, reflecting on how education could serve as a vehicle for cultural transmission and societal transformation. The sessions were moderated by Prof. Ching-Hua Tsai, former Deputy Minister of Education and current Chair Professor at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, and Sheng-Yao Cheng.
Since its founding in 2022, the Center for Tsou Knowledge has been dedicated to constructing a comprehensive Tsou knowledge system. The center developed a classification framework encompassing eleven major domains, reflecting the deep reservoir of traditional wisdom accumulated by the Tsou people. Through hands-on craft workshops, performing arts, community-based learning, and educational outreach, the center emphasizes the cultural meaning and educational continuity of Indigenous knowledge.
Beyond showcasing the center’s recent achievements, this forum served as a vital platform for Taiwan–U.S. Indigenous education exchange, fostering both local and international collaboration and dialogue.
The event was held in a hybrid format, welcoming educators, teachers from Indigenous schools, cultural practitioners, and students to participate in person and online. The lively atmosphere reflected a shared commitment to preserving and revitalizing Indigenous traditional knowledge in a multicultural society, while promoting the localization and internationalization of Indigenous education.