A new homeland in the city

Chiashan Church in Chiayi’s Baojian Street is the sole church for indigenous people in Chiayi City. The church acts as a service center for indigenous people, providing indigenous children from Chiayi with a joyful space in which to study and grow. At the same time, the church attaches importance to passing on the Tsou tribal language and problems of children adapting to city life. It is hoped that the church can help this group of children find a place that they can finally call home and put down roots. 

In spite of the fact that Chiashan Church doesn’t have lots of space or rich resources like most cram schools, it does have one incredibly hardworking pastor, and he helped arranged for  students from Chiang Kai-shek University Social Welfare Department and Alishan Community Workers group, Huomiyaya, to accompany children at the study class. Through all their hard work, they have managed to establish a study area oozing with warmth and love. It is hoped that Chiashan Church's establishment of the learning space and its strong support of tribal language study, many more children will have the opportunity to become reacquainted with their traditional tribal culture.  

A new homeland in the city

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/333657

(以下為中文對照)

都市新故鄉

照片

位於嘉義市保健街的嘉山教會，是全嘉義市唯一的原住民教會，也是在地的原住民服務中心，提供嘉義的都市原住民學童一個快樂學習的成長空間，同時也重視鄒族母語的傳承，及孩童的生活適應問題，希望能在都市中替這群原住民學童打造一個全新的歸屬。

雖然嘉山教會並不像補習班一樣，擁有寬敞的空間和豐富的資源，然而在牧師積極安排之下，與中正大學社會福利學系學生和穫米亞亞阿里山社區工作社同學合作，希望能建立一個溫馨的學習空間，陪伴孩子一同成長，嘉山教會也注重原鄉母語的學習與傳承，讓孩子們重新認識自己的傳統部落文化。