Perspectives on the Yi of Southwest China (Studies on China, 26)

Nearly seven million Yi people live in Southwest China, but most educated people outside China have never heard of them. This book, the first scholarly study in a Western language on the Yi in four decades, brings this little-known part of the world to life. Perspectives on the Yi of Southwest China is a remarkable collection of work by both Yi and foreign scholars describing their history, traditional society, and recent social changes. In addition to being valuable as an ethnographic study, this book is also an experiment in communication among three discourses: the cosmopolitan disciplines of history and the social sciences, the Chinese discourse of ethnology and ethnohistory, and the Yi folk discourse of genealogy and ritual. This book uses the case of the Yi to conduct an international conversation across formerly isolated disciplines. Preliminaries......Page 1 CONTENTS......Page 10 List of Tables......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 1. Reconstructing Y i History from Yi Records......Page 36 2. Nzymo as Seen in Some Yi Classical Books......Page 50 3. A Comparative Approach to Lineages among the Xiao Liangshan Nuosu and Han......Page 66 4. Preferential Bilateral-Cross-Cousin Marriage among the Nuosu in Liangshan......Page 83 5. Names and Genealogies among the Nuosu of Liangshan......Page 96 6. Homicide and Homicide Cases in Old Liangshan......Page 109 7. Searching for the Heroic Age of the Yi People of Liangshan......Page 119 8. On the Nature and Transmission of Bimo Knowledge in Liangshan......Page 133 9. The Cold Funeral of the Nisu Yi......Page 150 10. A Valley-House: Remembering a Yi Headmanship......Page 159 11. Native Place and Ethnic Relations in Lunan Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan......Page 185 12. Language Policy for the Yi......Page 210 13. Nationalities Conflict and Ethnicity in the People’s Republic of China, with Special Reference to the Y i in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture......Page 229 14. Education and Ethnicity among the Liangshan Yi......Page 253 15. Nuosu Women’s Economic Role in Ninglang, Yunnan, under the Reforms......Page 271 16. The Yi Health Care System in Liangshan and Chuxiong......Page 282 References......Page 298 List of Contributors......Page 318 Index......Page 324 Reconstructing Yi History From Yi Records / Wu Gu -- Nzymo As Seen In Some Yi Classical Books / Wu Jingzhong -- A Comparative Approach To Lineages Among The Xiao Liangshan Nuosu And Han / Ann Maxwell Hill And Eric Diehl -- Preferential Bilateral-cross-cousin Marriage Among The Nuosu In Liangshan / Lu Hui -- Names And Genealogies Among The Nuosu Of Liangshan / Ma Erzi -- Homicide And Homicide Cases In Old Liangshan / Qubi Shimei And Ma Erzi -- Searching For The Heroic Age Of The Yi People Of Liangshan / Liu Yu -- On The Nature And Transmission Of Bimo Knowledge In Liangshan / Bamo Ayi. The Cold Funeral Of The Nisu Yi / Li Yongxiang -- A Valley-house : Remembering A Yi Headmanship / Erik Mueggler -- Native Place And Ethnic Relations In Lunan Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan / Margaret Byrne Swain -- Language Policy For The Yi / David Bradley -- Nationalities, Conflict And Ethnicity In The People's Republic Of China, With Special Reference To The Yi In The Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture / Thomas Heberer -- Education And Ethnicity Among The Liangshan Yi / Martin Schoenhals -- Nuosu Women's Economic Role In Ninglang, Yunnan, Under The Reforms / Wu Ga (luovu Vugashynyumo) -- The Yi Health Care System In Liangshan And Chuxiong / Liu Xiaoxing. Edited By Stevan Harrell. Includes Bibliographical References (p.283-302) And Index. Nearly seven million people live in southwest China, but most educated people have never heard of them. This work intends to bring this part of the world to life. It is a collection of work by both Yi and foreign scholars describing their history, traditional society, and social changes. Nearly seven million Yi people live in Southwest China, but most educated people outside China have never heard of them. This book brings this little-known part of the world to life, describing its history, traditional society, and recent social changes As a scholar who was born into a Yi family and who has devoted himself heart and soul to the study of Yi history and culture for several decades.