A School Grown from the Land — TAMORAK Indigenous Language Co-Learning Garden
TAMORAK, meaning “pumpkin” in the Amis language, symbolizes the hope that the beautiful cultures of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples will grow like the pumpkin—lush with vines, bright with blossoms, and rich with sweet fruit. Founded in 2015 by community members of Makotaay, Amis Village in Fengbin Township, Hualien, the TAMORAK Indigenous Language Co-Learning Garden began as a small self-learning initiative among a few families. In 2018, it expanded into the TAMORAK Cultural and Educational Association, promoting an all-Amis-language experimental learning model where families and children learn together—cultivating self-respect, confidence, and a natural inheritance of Indigenous culture and values. We believe that educational choices can empower communities, allowing new forms of self-determination to take root and flourish.