Elder Care, Indigeneity and the State

This book examines the relationship between the colonial state and Indigenous peoples through the lens of elderly care in Taiwan. Focusing on the Tayal people, an officially-recognized Indigenous group, it introduces a groundbreaking approach, bringing an Indigenous epistemology and Tayal hermeneutics into the study of care practices, and offering valuable insights into the importance of indigenous knowledge systems. By examining indigenous practices and perspectives on care and aging, Wasiq Silan challenges prevailing ideologies and practices, allowing readers to understand the profound wisdom embedded within indigenous cultures and their holistic approaches to well-being and elderly care. This book offers an invaluable resource for students and scholars across multiple disciplines seeking a comprehensive understanding of care, health, wellbeing, and sustainable quality-of-life systems.

Dr Wasiq Silan (I-An Gao) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Indigenous Development and Social Work at the College of Indigenous Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan. Previously, she was a Core Fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki. She is Tayal from the Mstaranan community in the Nanshi River valley of northern Taiwan and regularly participates in Taiwan's delegation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). Her research focuses on Indigenous wellbeing and care systems, the decolonization of state-Indigenous relations, and collaborative, community-based, and Indigenous research methodologies.