Reconstruction of the Nu as an ethnic group in Northern Myanmar : the yearning of a people

What makes a people so persistently guard its ethnic name, even at the expense of reconstructing its cultural entities? The Nu in northern Myanmar originated from the Anung and Nusu branches of the Chinese Nu people in the Nujiang River valley. In Myanmar’s contemporary ethnic construction, the Nu failed to acquire an ethnic identity commensurate with their ethnic name, thus giving rise to their movement of ethnic reconstruction. Out of the need to retain their own language and culture and acquire their ethnic identity, the Anung and Nusu, who had little interaction with each other in history, have become united. Referring to the Chinese Nu people’s construction pattern, they have reconstructed the Myanmar Nu people as a complete ethnic entity by enhancing their social identity, reshaping their cultural traditions, and creating their writing system, along with a Nu language-based Christian theological system, in the hope of eventually gaining recognition from various other ethnic groups in Kachin and of the Myanmar government. Cover Contents List of Tables Introduction: The Yearning of a People References 1 The Nu in Northern Myanmar and Christianity 1.1 Definition of the Myanmar Nu People 1.2 Origin and Distribution of the Myanmar Nu People 1.3 Diverse Means of Livelihood 1.4 Propagation of Christianity in Northern Myanmar and Western Yunnan 1.5 Nu Christians References 2 Who Are the Nu: Origin and Construction 2.1 The Nu from a Cultural Perspective 2.2 Origins and Evolution of the Nu 2.3 The Nu People in Chinese Literature 2.4 National Construction of the Nu in China 2.5 The Construction of Nu Peoples in Myanmar 2.6 Conclusion References 3 Ethnic Imaginings and Identity 3.1 Families and Clans 3.2 Ethnic Imaginings of the Nu Peoples 3.3 Ethnic Identity: Identification and Reconstruction References 4 The Nu Script and Nu Language-Based Theology 4.1 Nu: A People without a Writing System 4.2 Christianity and the Writing Systems of Different Peoples 4.3 The Nu Writing System 4.4 The Nu Theology References 5 The Reshaping of Cultural Traditions 5.1 Why Reshape? 5.2 Reshaping of Cultural Traditions References Postscript "Out of the need to maintain their own language and culture and to acquire their ethnic identity, the two groups, Anung and Nusu, which had little contact in history, united. Taking the construction model of the Nu people in China as a model, the Nu people of Myanmar tries to achieve a complete ethnic entity through the strengthening of social identity, the reshaping of cultural traditions, the creation of the writing system and the establishment of the Nu language-based Christian theology system, with a view to obtaining the final recognition of ethnic groups in Kachin and even the Myanmar government"-- Provided by publisher