Historical Memory and Identity Practice Arousing Consciousness of the Chinese National Community
The Taliu people("Taliu Ren")are a subgroup of the Yi ethnic people,and are primarily located in the Yongsheng and Huaping counties within the Lijiang municipality of Yunnan province.Historical documents trace their lineage back to the"Bai Man,"a term denoting the"white minority"(an ethnic name)in ancient Southwestern China.Related research reports that within Taliu oral tradition there are three different versions of legendary ancestral narratives,each highlighting a multi-ethnic co-ancestor theme.The first version is"co-ancestor of five groups".In this version,the Tibetan,Naxi,Bai,Han,and Taliu peoples emerge from five brothers;a second ver-sion narrows the ancestral lineage to three groups,attributing the Han,the Nuosu of the Yi,and the Taliu to three brothers;a third version is also a-bout the"co-ancestry of three groups",but in this iteration,the Han,the Nuosu of the Yi,and the Taliu trace their descent to three sisters.Although there seem to be some differences between these three versions,it shows the rich tapestry of co-an-cestor legends woven within Taliu cultural herit-age.The"Zong Zhi Jie"festival serves as a wor-ship ritual of the Taliu People.Historical research indicates it was only observed to worship their own forebears by each surname clan,with external par-ticipation prohibited.Each surname clan took turns to hold this festival in different months.How-ever,since the 1950s,locals have blended this festival with another ancestral worship ceremony known as"Ba Ba Jie",and it now occurs annually on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month,marking a significant adaptation in Taliu ancestral prac-tices:In the new ancestor worship ceremony,the Taliu people have transitioned from exclusively venerating their own surname clan ancestors to em-bracing the ancestral heritage of the"360 hu wu"(meaning"360 military households")Han ances-tors.These ancestors are believed to be affiliated with Han military encampments dating back to the Ming Dynasty.In addition,the Taliu people have also linked their ancestors with Mao Taihua,the progenitor of the Mao family in Hunan,through tracing their genealogy.Indeed,both The"360 Han military households"as well as the Mao clan stationed in"Lancangwei"are considered by the locals as their"primordial ancestors".From research data this article draws the in-ferences that no matter their identifying with"multi-ethnic co-ancestors"or awakening the his-torical consciousness of"Han ancestry"reflects the historical impact of long-term communication,interaction,and integration among the early Taliu people of the Yi,the migrating Han people in Yunnan,and various other ethnic minorities.This arguably can be considered as a form of"self-rec-reation"of Taliu people,wherein ethnic bounda-ries have been supplanted by a bloodline connec-tion and communal habitation within the broader Chinese National Community.This study also finds it reasonable to assume that this"self-recreation"of the Taliu people underscores their recognition of the Chinese nation and culture,delineating in a way the genesis of the Chinese national communi-ty.Put differently,it has been a process of awak-ening of the Taliu people's consciousness of the Chinese national community.Therefore,this re-search firmly asserts that the case of the Taliu peo-ple can provide valuable ethnographic insights and materials for scholarly research,educational initia-tives,and public outreach aimed at forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Taliu people of the Yi ethnic groupmemory constructioncultural integrationChinese national community consciousnessidenti-fication with the Chinese nation
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