「我媽媽說我是假的原住民。」那天我遇到一個布農族的孩子，他這樣悻悻然地自嘲。
我們都經歷過一種責難：
「都市原住民是假的原住民」，「不住山上沒有資格自稱原住民」⋯⋯
身為一個在都市與部落錯落成長的孩子，身為一個跨族群雙親的原住民孩子，
請溫柔擁抱跟自己相似的身影。
其實像我們這樣的原青很多，成長過程中未必有學習族語或傳統文化的環境，卻也用各種方式在努力認識自己。
至少從使用族名開始，慢慢學族語、認識文史，或是找機會回原鄉部落進一步了解自己的社群。近幾年，「說母語」變成越來越有熱度的議題。隨著本土價值意識升高、族群意識凝聚，越來越多年輕人開始肯定說母語的重要性和意義。
對我而言，學母語最重要的出發點是認同，因為追尋著原住民身分認同，我開始不孤單，也有了彼此分享的夥伴。
感謝最支持台灣人講母語的台灣教會公報新聞網 TCNN邀稿
"My mom says I'm a fake indigenous person." A youth i met said.
Sometimes we are considered "fake indigenous."
If you don't live in the mountains, if you don't grow up in the indigenous hood, you're not qualified to call yourself indigenous."
We've all faced some form of criticism: "Urban indigenous people are fake," "Without living in the mountains, you can't claim to be indigenous," and so on. As a child who grew up scattered between the city and the tribal community, as an indigenous child with parents from different ethnic groups, please gently embrace the familiar image of yourself.
Many indigenous youths like us may not have had the opportunity to learn the tribal language or traditional culture during their upbringing. However, they are still making efforts in various ways to understand themselves. Starting with using tribal names, gradually learning the language, exploring history and culture, or visiting their ancestral tribes to gain a deeper understanding of their community.
In recent years, the issue of "speaking the mother language" has gained increasing attention in the indigenous communiyies. With the rise of local awareness and the consolidation of ethnic identity, more and more young people are recognizing the importance and significance of speaking indigenous language.
For me, the most crucial starting point in learning the native language is identification. Pursuing indigenous identity, I began to feel less lonely and found companions to share the journey with.
