“Solve your own problems.” The only way to address the “invasion” of 7-Eleven in Orchid Island

Text and photos by Tsai Fuda from 《Europe Comes Through》

“The problems of Orchid Island can only be solved by the people of Orchid Island.” That’s how I answered. It’s an extension of something Pastor Lin Ching-tai, the male lead in the movie *Seediq Bale*, once said to me on Wulai Mountain: “The affairs of indigenous peoples can only be resolved by indigenous peoples themselves.”

You can freely substitute “Orchid Island” or “indigenous peoples” with any other category, then revisit the question itself: What kind of world do you hope this will become? Then go and work toward making that vision a reality. “Many people imagine changing the world, but they don’t realize that before you can change the world, you must first change yourself.” Forget about the 7-Eleven in Orchid Island—for example, on the much larger island of Taiwan, do you visit small neighborhood grocery stores more often than chain convenience stores? If not, why oppose the “invasion” of 7-Eleven in Orchid Island? After all, you’re also one of the “contributors” who helped create this monster.

There’s always a huge gap between “thinking” and “doing.” You enjoy the convenience brought by modern civilization, yet demand that others maintain tradition just to give you a “window” to escape from it when you want—that’s actually quite selfish. Everyone has the right to choose the life they consider ideal. Just as you can oppose someone else’s stance, you must also respect their right to speak. After listening to them, you can still hold onto your own views.

So, what am I really trying to say? It’s actually very simple.

“After you make a choice, you must take responsibility for the consequences.” This applies whether you’re from Orchid Island, outside of Orchid Island, or anyone on Earth. The opening of a 7-Eleven may indeed trigger concerns about impacts on local shops or ecological damage, but it could also awaken a sense of “crisis” among the locals. “Everything has multiple sides.” This might prompt the locals to take actions—perhaps ones they hadn’t tried before—to actively protect their way of life. Beyond slogans, they could establish real organizations, set relevant rules, and work toward the ideal life they envision.

Some might say, “By the time culture disappears and we start taking action, it’s already too late.” But if you look back, Orchid Island was already facing such pressures long before 7-Eleven arrived. The arrival of 7-Eleven is just a trigger point. Local youth told me that many indigenous people’s lands have been expropriated by the government or taken by Han Chinese to build homestays. Underground houses and traditional canoes have been commercialized for tourism. These issues are eroding traditional culture in every possible way, and their impact is far greater than that of 7-Eleven—and it’s been happening for years.

But there are also tribal members who absolutely refuse to allow their land, canoes, or underground houses to be sold. They insist on preserving things the way they want them and live happily despite having fewer material possessions. So what? They believe it’s more important that their children remember who they are. These two approaches can coexist—it shouldn’t be a conflict. “Everyone can choose their own unique way of existing in this world.”

Why do we always fall into binary thinking, unable to let both exist, even as we claim to support diversity? So the existence of 7-Eleven is actually a “false problem.” The real question is: How can we ensure the things we love continue to exist? I think the most we outsiders can do is let our own “choices” influence how many and how long those “unique existences” can survive.

When you change your own behavior patterns, you’re showing them what kind of world you love. As a friend of mine—who’s set to receive the Presidential Education Award this year—once said, “Every bill is a vote.”

“Business is never evil; it’s where you choose to place business that matters.”

Take our “Island Puzzle” project, for example. We’ve built a local economic model based on the foundation of “traditional life.” Not everyone on the island is willing to participate, but we offer a “choice” that allows young people to stay home without leaving their hometowns to find work. They might not earn as much money as they would elsewhere, but the value they see isn’t in “money”—it’s in other reasons, such as emotional ties to family, satisfaction with life, fascination with their own culture, or other motivations. If, under these conditions, we can also offer earnings comparable to working elsewhere, more people will be inclined to join this “choice.”

That’s also why our fees remain high, yet every session fills up to the brim—so full I could get sick of it. Because those are choices made after deep consideration. They show the locals through their actions: “We love this kind of experience, and we’re here to learn from you.” So the locals are also willing to work together. In just the past year, participation has grown—from a single family at the start to families of different ages, from teenagers to elders. Each session has more participants than the last. Even in late August, a group of foreigners paid €225 per person to join and experience everything according to “local rules.”

All problems require looking backward to understand the structural issues behind them.

Before establishing any model, it depends on how much time you’ve spent understanding, listening, and creating. Building a model is much harder than you think—I won’t go into details here—but that’s the fundamental way to solve the root of the problem. You don’t need to explain to others what kind of world you hope for, because those who like it don’t need an explanation, and those who don’t won’t listen anyway.

“Action is always the best proof.”

No one can force others to make choices, especially when we’re not the ones living there. Use your actions to show them what you truly need. To put it plainly, “Where do you choose to direct your love?” Crisis—crisis means opportunity follows danger. This is the best chance to “change,” “maintain,” or even “transform,” whether you’re for or against the changes in Orchid Island, or even for us ourselves.

For me, I feel more anticipation—anticipation that after more “choices” are made, more “strong individuals” will take real action to defend the ideal life they envision. “Local problems can only be solved locally.” And then, take responsibility for the outcomes of those choices.