Indigenous children faced many challenges in the field of education due to social, economic, and other factors. Many parents spend long periods away from home for work; as a result, grandparents take the responsibility of raising the child. Yet, most grandparents are struggling to provide advanced education to their grandchildren. Bukut Tasvaluan, the principal of Vox Nativa Taiwan, realized the issues that the children in his tribe faced. He believes that not only do the children need tangible goods, they also require self-confidence in their identity. Motivated by this belief, Principle Bukut Tasvaluan gathered retired teachers from Jian Guo High School and founded the Vox Nativa Association.
The first Vox Nativa Music School was built in May 2008 in Nantou County. Most individuals in the school were middle or elementary school students. This school enhances the students' basic studies and teaches the students the indigenous cultures on weekends, as well as winter and summer vacations. Then, they created the Yuan Sheng International Academy in 2018 to support the education of the students in high school.
There are no high schools in the rural areas, students must leave their tribes and study in the metropolis if they want to continue their studies. Many indigenous students face challenges associated with the frustration of education and the adaptation of urban life, causing the abandonment of their education. To solve the situation, Yuan Sheng International Academy was founded in 2018, which provides support relating to education on indigenous students. The goal of the Yuan Sheng International Academy is to develop the students’ integrity, cultivate their gratitude, and give students the proficiency to contribute to their own tribes and hometowns, moreover, to enhance the whole society.
The Vox Nativa Association had numerous activities, including numerous overseas performances. These performances are mainly due to the filmmaker Chi Po Lin, who invited Vox Nativa to have a performance in his film “Beyond Beauty： Taiwan From Above,” which is a film from an aerial view containing different natural landscapes of Taiwan. In the last scene of this film, the Vox Nativa choir climbed up onto the peak of Jade Mountain and sang the song “Let's Clap Together” to cheer up Taiwan. The impressive natural landscapes combined with the genuine voices of the choir had touched many people’s hearts, and assisted this film to win the 20th Golden Horse Award for Best Documentary. This also caused more and more people to pay attention to the Vox Nativa Association and invited them to perform in several different countries, such as Japan, the United States, Germany, and Austria.
Vox Nativa has greatly improved indigenous education in Taiwan. It provides students with quality education, music lessons, and programs regarding personal development, helping them overcome challenges, no matter if its financially or culturally. Throughout their 15 years of development, Vox Nativa has gained national and international recognition, performing in major events and representing globally, these events range from performing in Taiwan’s National Concert Hall to having a tour in the U.S.(New York and Washington). Overall, Vox Nativa helps indigenous children through education and music, aiming towards brighter futures while preserving their traditions.
