A Brief Discussion on Miao Costume andthe Awareness of Miao Self—Identity

来源 :民族学刊 | 被引量 : 0次 | 上传用户:tygsfe
下载到本地 , 更方便阅读
声明 : 本文档内容版权归属内容提供方 , 如果您对本文有版权争议 , 可与客服联系进行内容授权或下架
论文部分内容阅读
  Abstract: Historically, the Miao had no unified writing system. The historical records that we read today are mostly recorded from the perspective of “the other”. We know that “historical memory” is a significant factor for the formation of a groups awareness of its self-identity.This means that the writings of “historical memory”, one of the important factors for the formation of the Miaos awareness of their self-identity, were constructed by “the other”. However, was the “historical memory” of the Miao only constructed by “the other”? Did they inherit some other forms of expression constructed from their own perspective? Actually, in addition to ancient songsand oral heritage, Miao costume, with its rich and deeply symbolic designs,is one of these expressions.
  Miao traditional costume can be regarded as a history book which records their long history of migration. Such kind of costume becomes an important ethnic cultural marker, and is also a factor in the formation of the awareness of their ethnic self-identity. Moreover, while Miao costume is an important marker enabling outsiders to recognize the Miao, it is also a criterion for the Miao to distinguish themselves from other branches within thegroup in different areas.
  Following the Qing governments direct control of Guizhou, an area which was mainly inhabited by the Miao, this kind of strong, distinctive, cultural symbol became one of the governments targets for assimilating the Miao. Therefore, the government adopted some mandatory policies aimed at reforming Miao costume. Due to this unprecedented political environment, what kind of impacts did this have on Miao costume?And, what kind of roles did these impacts play on the awareness of Miao self-identity? This article gives a brief discussion of the impacts on the Miaos awareness of their self-identity, resulting from the reforms to Miao costume implemented by the central governments of the Qing and the Republic of China.
  There is already a lot of scholarship concerning Miao costume and its relationship to Miao ethnic awareness. At the beginning of this article, we mentioned the significance of “historical memory” in the formation of the awareness of self-identity. Here let us take a look at some cultural elements of the Guizhou Miaos costume which have a close relationship with the Miao’s historical memory. First, one element that an ethnic groups historical memory will doubtlessly involve is the origin of the group and their ancestors.This is the most important factor. When we talk about the ancestors of the Miao today, we must undoubtedly mention Chiyou. Because of this we can notice the element of Chiyou in many traditional Miao costumes. Now, let us take a look atthe element of migration. We know that todays Miao are scattered in a wide area, and they have many sub-branches. One of the main reasons for this situation is “migration”. The reasons for their migration are many—some were due to natural disasters and their search for a better and more suitable environment, and some were due to their fleeing war or political oppression. No matter what the reason, following the migration, the Miao produced many memories related to their former lives or wars, etc. .As some scholars have mentioned, in order to confirm this ethnic awareness, the designs on their traditional costume became special symbols expressing their feelings and awareness. The migration itself became a symbol integratedinto the patterns on the costume. Moreover, the different costumes formed from different environments became markers of the different branches, which formed and enhanced each branchs awareness of their self-identity.   Now let us have a look at the change of Miao costume since the Qing dynasty, i.e. after the Miao area was directly ruled by the central government. One important policy which was part of the well-known gaituguiliu policy(i.e.the replacement of native officials with the court appointed officials) was integrating local cultures.One measure of this cultural integration, the reform of costume, was a kind of marker of this assimilation. In the Qing governments gaituguiliu policy, the content relevant to the reform of Miao costume could be summarized by the following three points: 1) costume change due to the governments mandatory action; 2) costume change by the Miao themselves due to the influence of assimilation; 3) change through the symbolization of costume in local ethnographies. How do we analyze the change in the awareness of the Miaos self-identity through these factors? Firstly, the forced costume change was a kind of oppression from the outside, therefore, the non-Han ethnic groups, including the Miao, would undoubtedly resist. Secondly, with the infiltration of Han-Chinese culture into the Miao, Miao elites appeared whose titles were “Juren”(successful candidates in the imperial examinations at the provincial level), and who were accepted by the Han-Chinese cultural circle. Their appearance made a direct dialogue between the Miao and the central government possible. Thirdly, the appearance of books like the miaoman tuce(The Album of the Miao Barbarians) fixed and enhanced the view of the powerful “other”, and expanded this recognition to the general public represented by the Han-Chinese or even by people overseas. This would doubtlessly trigger feedback, and influence the process of the Miaos awareness of their self-identity.
  The Qing combined its rule of the Miao with the integration of their costume, and this was just what symbolized the action of the rulers towards those different ethnic groups who were ruled. Such an “other”, as the central government, changed the Miao in order to make them a proper member of the empire, and recorded them by the way of symbolizing their costume. In this way, the Miao concentrated the unprecedented varieties of the views of “the other”. During the process of contact, conflict, and integration, a wider and deeper awareness of Miao self-identity had been awakened and enhanced,which, in turn, become the prototype of the Miaos multiple self-identity awareness.
  The government of the Republic of China also involved itself in the reform of Miao costume,and implemented a series of compulsory policies relevant to costume reform.Same as that of the Qing government, it implemented a policy of “cultural assimilation from the surface”. The typical event was a costume reform movement, aiming at “improving the costume of the compatriots”. In the early years of the Republic of China, the government was not able to rule the Miao in Guizhou directly. Following the division and opposition of the warlords, the Miao in Guizhou were under the rule of the warlords in Southwest China. The warlords in Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Yunnan implemented several laws and regulations based on the policies of the Nationalist Party. The content of these laws and regulations clearly expressed that their purpose was to abolish the languages and customs of the ethnic minorities, including the Miao, Yi and Dong, etc. . Moreover, the warlords of Yunnan also implemented mandatory reform on the costume in Malipo and Guangnan counties.The warlords of Guangxi took the same actions in Sanjiang and Rongshui counties. From 1934 to 1935, the power of Chiang Kai-shek began to emerge in the southwest region, and the central government of the Nationalist Party began to rule Southwest China more directly. The officials in various Miao areas began to enhance the process of “assimilation” from the administrative and legal aspects, and even used the military force to support it. The important content of “assimilation”—the costume reform became more concrete.   From the Qing to the Republican Period, the rulers implemented costume reform policies which oppressed the Miao by “the other”to various degrees.It is from this kind of historical context in which “every person was united as one people”was formed,and the self-identity of being Miao was strengthened. The founding of the Republic of China in modern time brought the Miao a much more complicated external environment. The Miao who were involved in the construction of a modern state had to face a contradictory and helpless situation in which they resisted the Han on one hand, but on the other hand, they had to accept the influence of Han culture. At the same time, the new generation of the Miao elites started to think about their own ethnic group from a perspective beyond geographical limitations, and one which promoted their ethnic pride. This kind of awareness gradually emerged into a common Miao mentality—a multi-awareness which included “state”, “Miao”, and “Miao branches in various regions”, was strengthened. It could be said that as one important part of assimilation policy, the existence and change of the Miaos traditional costume strengthened this kind of multi-level self-identity awareness of the Miao.
  Key Words: the Miaos traditional costume;etnic cultural representation; the awareness of self-identity
  References:
  Li Tingui,Zhangshan,ZhouGuangda. miaozu de lishiyuwenhua(The History and Culture of the Miao)[M].Beijing:zhongyan minzudaxue chubanshe,1996:207
  Jiang Zhongzheng. zhongguo zhi minyun(Chinas Destiny)[M].Wuhan:zhongnan
  yinshuguan,1943:2-3.
  Jiang Bizhen.qiandongnan miaozu fushi kaocha(An Investigation on Miao Costume in Qiandongnan) [J]// zhongguo shaoshu minzu yu Taiwan yuanzhuming fushi wenhua lunji,Taiwan Furen University,2002:65.
  Miao History Compiling Team.miaozu jianshi(Brief History of the Miao)[M].Guiyang:guizhouminzu chubanshe,1985.
  Sun Wen. zhonghua minguo linshi dazongtong xuanyan shu(Proclamation of Provisional President of the Republic China)[Z]//.sunzhongshan xuanji(A Selected Writings of Sun Zhongshan),Beijing:renmin chubanshe,1981:114.
  Wang Mingke.huaxia bianyuan-lishi jiyi yuzuqun rentong(On Chinese Borderland-Historical Memory and Ethnic Identity)[J].Series ofYunchen,1996.
  Wu Xinfu.miaozu wenhua shi (The Cultural Custom of the Miao)[M].Chengdu:sichuanminzu chubanshe,2000:428.
  ——. zhongguo miaozu tongshi(The History of the Miao in China)[M].Guiyang:guizhouminzu chubanshe,1998:646.
  Yang Zhengwen.miaozu fushi wenhua(The Miaos Costume Culture)[M].Guiyang:guizhouminzu chubanshe,1988.
  Yang Changguo.fuhao yu xiangzheng-miaozu fushi(Symbols and Representations-Miao Costume)[M].Guiyang:guizhouminzu chubanshe,1997.
  Yang Tongru.mingqing liangdai guizhou miaozu de wuzhi shenghuo jiqi bianhua(Material Life of the Guizhou Miao during the Ming and Qing Periods and Its Change)[J].Series of Guozhou Literature and History,1989:114.
其他文献
[摘要]全球化浪潮使得布朗族如其他绝大多数少数民族一样正面临外来文化冲击,如何有效传承本民族传统文化日益重要。 本研究认为,教育是人类文化传承的重要途径;随着社会的发展,布朗族传统教育的模式及其功能发生了改变; 民族地区现代学校教育责无旁贷地成为当今民族文化传承的重要场所,尽管它正面临传承与发展的两难困境。  [关键词]教育;人口较少民族;文化传承;布朗族  中图分类号:C40-055 文献标识码
期刊
[摘要]东巴文玛尼堆铭文是中国西南多民族杂居区多种宗教文化交融和语言接触的产物,集中体现了佛教、本教、东巴教兼容并存、相互融合的历史。本铭文文字较多、结构完整、内容丰富,保留了一些人类早期文字的特征和地域性特征,同时补充了纳西东巴文献的材质类型,也是区域多学科研究的重要历史文献资料。  [关键词]民族关系;东巴文;玛尼堆;石刻文献  中图分类号:C95文献标识码:A  文章编号:1674-9391
期刊
[摘要]在西藏本教文化的视野里,纳西东巴文化中的“尤玛神”,藏语称“威玛”,藏文转写为“wer-ma”,“威玛”在象雄语里被解释为保佑人类的非人(鬼神)之一种。随着纳西格子藏文碑的出土,“威玛神”在纳西的历史至少可以上溯到公元755年以前。通过纳西东巴文化中的尤玛神与西藏本教文化中的威玛神比较研究认为,现在我们看到的“尤玛”与“威玛”是同一个神系在纳西东巴文化和西藏本教文化中的存在形式,同时可以发
期刊
[摘要]马克(Mark Bender)教授来自美国俄亥俄州立大学,对中国少数民族文学有很深刻的研究,并将部分作品译成英文,在美国学界产生了很大的影响。此次访谈,马克教授谈到了少数民族文学的译介与传播的诸多问题,并介绍了自己翻译阿库乌雾彝语诗歌的方法和原则,尤其是对如何在译文中保留原文音韵谈到了自己的一些经验,同时表达了对用少数民族语言进行文学创作前景的忧虑。访谈中,马克教授还将彝语文学作品与印第安
期刊
[摘要]中国古代的山水画以及山水画论,在中国艺术史、美术史,乃至文学史上都有着重要的地位与作用。不仅如此,从其中还可以看出中国古代的社会、文化特征。山水画以及山水画论恢复并接续了上古中国山川“圣地”崇拜的传统。山水画及其创作理论将生生不息、连绵不绝的“生命力”看作是山水画的最高追求。在这种追求中,蕴含着山川在“封建”之前的神圣性,揭示了宇宙运行的规则和秩序。只是,山川的神圣性,并不直接体现为远古式
期刊
Abstract:The popularity of the social media app “WeChat” draws our attention to the issue of the arrival of a WeChat era. It could be said that WeChat is a new participatory opportunity for ordinary C
期刊
[摘要]通过对越西县彝族本土司法实践的实证考察,发现彝族习惯法长期在当地应用于司法实践的事实。这一事实显示习惯法使用的实际权威在彝族社会诸多时候会超出国家法的权限,因此主张国家法应当主动关注并实际承认习惯法的存在,认可或为其保留一定的合法地位和空间。这样,既有利于当地国家法的有效实施,又能满足保护文化和维持村寨秩序的现实需求。  [关键词]越西彝族;国家司法;本土司法;有机互动   中图分类号
期刊
[摘要]弗雷德里克·戴木德教授结合自己的学术研究背景和研究领域,回顾了自己在库拉圈一带的岛屿进行的民族志田野调查,探讨了水、树、环境、生产与人的生活之关系,戴木德教授强调结构主义对他思考方式的影响,认为索绪尔的“意义始于差异”观点十分重要,在库拉圈岛(Kula Ring)博约瓦(Muyuw)人那里苦(树)与甜(树)之间的差异和区分被运用到对不同树的分类与解释就是典型的例证。戴木德教授告诫人类学研究
期刊
编者按:本文作者通过转述他人讲述的故事,全面展现出一位米内罗(mineiro)的入巫、出神与着魔的完整过程,是一篇比较深入的民族志报告。讲述者是一个虔诚的信徒,讲述神乎其神、玄幻荒诞,说人可以“通灵”还必须顺从神灵的指示,甚至号召人们进行一种“通灵”实验。这仅只反映一个信徒的宗教意识。其所述涉及一些非理性、非科学的内容,皆为特殊文化语境中存在的观念意识,其言虽诞谬,但作为一种文化现象却值得研究和正
期刊
[摘要]土著人民的权利保护问题由来已久,人们一直在探寻保护土著人民的优惠政策和特殊法律。自上个世纪八十年代以来,国际社会在土著人民权利保护方面取得了较大的成就。譬如,土著人民不仅仅享有人类最基本的平等权、自由权、发展权等,还享有涉及教育、语言、文化、就业、土地、自然资源、政治权利、宗教权利、信仰、司法平等、保护传统经济和生活方式、跨国界权、参与权、发展权和高度自治权等多方面权利。2007年出台的《
期刊