Black Yi Story

This thesis takes the Black Yi in Butuo County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture as main object of study. Firstly, through reviewing series of social reforms and movements after the liberation of Butuo, it shows Black Yi s experiences and how their status changed; Meanwhile, it also demonstrates the interaction of Chinese main discourse with Butuo local tradition, and analyses Black Yi s die-hard character and reasons why they have come up like that. Secondly, after the carrying out of the Reforming and Opening-up policy, in order to rehabilitate Black Yi s reputation and status, Black Yis in Butuo, who had been constrained for long, began to make use of new conditions and current capital to reconstruct their noble identity, and try to maintain caste bound. The tradition of marriage within the same caste is still commonly practiced in Butuo, and the caste idea still influences local people deeply. In spite of that, the influence and permeation of modernization is irresistible. For the sake of adapting to new life, Black Yi s tradition is being shaken, and many people have violated tradition.By understanding status change of Black Yis and their current life, the writer wants to clarify two topics: firstly, when main tradition and local tradition interact with each other, the subjectivity of local peopleshould be respected. Otherwise, the putting forward of State policies would meet with obstruction or even defeat. Secondly, under the pounding of modernization, how could the Country get developed and reduce malpractice at the same time? The writer holds the idea that traditional culture could play an important role in modernization and make up for shortcomings of modernization.