The Historical Memory And Ethnic Identity Of Baiyi People In Yunnan Province

The historical memory is a kind of culture and ideology shared by a group,which including the cultural information as the original myth,the oral history,texts,religion and the body practice(ritual and celebration)based on these elements,with the function of cultural information preservation and integrating the ethnic group.The historical memory contains the gifted emotion relation in ethnic group so that it is an important cultural dynamic of ethnic identity.It is the self-construction of ethnic group with the characteristics of oral history,myths and legends as a kind of objective existence,the existing reality or a kind of action in society.It enforces the ethnic identity and distinguishes them from the other in the transmission of cultural information and the physical practice in generations.Based on the construction transmission and expression of historical memory of Baiyi people in Yunnan Heqing county,a branch of the Yi people,this study tries to discuss the ethnic group strategy and mechanism to obtain the ethnic identity,maintaining their own culture,in response to the impact of modern society.Baiyi people have their own unique ethnic myths,and formed a set of religious belief and practice system in the daily life.Baiyi people’s religion was influenced by the Benzu worship of Bai people,forming a mixed religion belief system of Benzu worship and primitive religion with the hierarchical and regional characteristics.The memory elements of myths,legends and religious practices constructed Baiyi people’s historical memory,and transmitted in the social life.In modern society,Baiyi people are facing the impact of culture,education,business and network,which changed the traditional social order.A large number of Baiyi people accepted the modern education,entered the politic field,gone out to work.The knowledge they learnt and the world they experienced are far from their traditional culture.Especially the rise of the network society promotes the information exchanging and dissemination,opening a window of another world for Baiyi people.In the interaction with the outside world,Baiyi people pay more attention to their ethnic consciousness and they began to take the initiative to strengthen the culture of ethnic groups and maintaining ethnic identity.As the resource and principle to gain ethnic identity,History memory enforced the peculiarity of ethnic groups’ existence in the dimension of social psychology and life practice,which is also the reason for ethnic groups distinguishing from others.Based on Baiyi people’s source myths and religion system,this study discusses transmission and expression of the historical memory,and the strategy and path adopted in response to the impact of culture for enforce their ethnic identity.This is a compromise and reciprocal mechanism in the process of information and culture exchanges between the group and the outside world.This study believes that ethnic identity is not only manifested in the people’s psychological attribution,but also the specific cultural practice.The transmission and performance of historical memory is the basic strategy for the development of ethnic groups,and is also the universal characteristic of all ethnic groups social life and practice.The historical memory of the ethnic group is in a dynamic process,and the ethnic elites have played an important role in different levels.In the transmission and performance of ethnic historical memory,the elites,the average people and the local government have participated and promoted this process.Different forces have constructed a multi-dimensional landscape.The transmission and performance of ethnic historical memory has been extended in the future.The reality of myths and the practice of religious life have become the resources and basis for tracing the history and forming ethnic identity.