本研究透過始於2002年參與阿美族傳統領域Karowa地名的訪察以及參與式地圖的繪製過程，產生了與普遍認為糖業為台灣經濟帶動者另一番截然不同的視角；認識到糖業經濟榮景的背後，事實上埋葬著原住民族土地遭掠奪後被迫遠離家園，以及原住民族依存於土地的歷史文化與認同遭到消抹、發展機會被糖業經濟取代的種種傷痛。本文從原住民族傳統領域權的角度切入，藉著探究阿美族傳統領域Karowa成為糖業經濟發展基地的歷史過程，除了揭露土地來源不正義的真相，同時指出殖民主義造成的不正義結果之壓迫性，並未隨著日治時期政權的離去與戰後戒嚴時期的結束而終結。現今花糖改造糖業生產空間的過程雖不見警察式暴力的土地佔領形式，然台糖公司長期漠視土地來源不正義的聲音，將Karowa空間的佔據視為理所當然，如日治時期般在「無原住民」的架構下生產迎合大眾觀光的空間，並未對花糖土地實掠奪自原住民族的歷史以及阿美族傳統領域的存在以任何方式加以承認，而是於花糖打造關於懷舊日本的地方迷思，並忽略Karowa部落地圖呈現的一百多個地名，反而透過網路票選命名平地森林園區的路段。對於視Karowa為家園的阿美族人可說成為壓迫性持續至今的來源之一。本研究指出，台灣原住民族試圖透過參與式製圖，以再領域化方式奪回傳統領域土地論述的主體性，詮釋其傳統領域土地不僅並非「空白」的無主地，且原住民族的主體性與生活軌跡在殖民者來到台灣前即已存在，以破除主流社會長期對原住民族權利的否認或誤認，並以此為基礎進一步訴求回復原住民族土地自主治理的權利。而原住民族傳統領域權的回復不僅牽涉到原住民族的主權議題，尚牽涉到非原住民是否覺知到並承認日常所涉足的空間是在原住民族的領域上，以及是否覺知到在原住民族領域上若不提原住民族的歷史，不僅形同否認殖民者搶奪或占據原住民族土地的歷史事實，也形同否認原住民族既有的土地主權與原住民族的受殖傷痛，使得非原住民同時成為不正義殖民遺緒的共同壓迫者。因此，本研究希冀透過此案例突顯原住民族傳統領域權的現實處境，思考主流社會如何為原住民族重新「創造出空間」，使原住民族回復被剝奪的土地並且補償民族文化原本可在這片土地得到發展的機會。

In 2002, this research involved in the project of tribal mapping of Karowa traditional territory that used to be owned by Pangcah People. Contrary to the common belief that sugar industry was the driving force of Taiwan’s economy, the project found that the “success” of sugar economy was made possible by depriving indigenous people from their land by colonizers, and thereby causing indigenous people to lose their livelihood, culture, and identity. By exploring how Karowa traditional territory had become the base for sugar industry development, we attempt to reveal the injustice of land appropriation during Japanese colonial era. We also indicate that such injustice did not end with the end of Japanese colonial regime, nor with the end of martial law period during KMT’s regime, it continues with new tourism industry development based in the same traditional territory of the Pangcah people. This paper indicates that Taiwan’s indigenous peoples have attempted to recapture the autonomy of traditional territories in the way of reterritorialization through participatory mapping, which is for interpreting independently that their traditional territories are not terra nullius, but also indigenous peoples have existed in Taiwan at least for hundreds of years before the arrival of colonizers. Besides, this paper points out that the return of indigenous traditional territories not only involves indigenous people’s autonomy issue, but also involve whether non-indigenous people are aware of and recognize that the touristic space involved is on the indigenous peoples’ traditional territories. Nonindigenous people could be the unconscious ethnic oppressor if they are denied access to the true story of land appropriation of indigenous traditional territory by the colonizer. This paper also discusses about and makes recommendations on how the Taiwanese society can begin to work toward recreating “the native space,” and to undo the injustice that has inflicted upon indigenous people for many decades.