Operation China

Wumeng December 7

Location: In 1999 ethnographer Jamin History: The Wumeng are Pelkey listed a population of 38,300 relatively recent arrivals in Wumeng people in China. They live in the region, having migrated four counties of Zhaotong Prefecture there within the last 300 to in northeast Yunnan Province. “In 400 years. Their situation Zhaotong County the Wumeng live was described by Samuel mainly in the Buga, Siwang, Clarke, who wrote that “two Xiaolongtong, Beizha, Qinggangling, days to the north of Panhe and Sayu districts, as well as Anshun begin the estates Dashanbao and Tianba districts in the and residences of the large western arm of the county. In Nosu [Yi] landholders, Yongshan County, Wujia District which stretch away as far contains the highest concentration of as Zhaotong, Yunnan, one Wumeng. The Wumeng also inhabit hundred and fifty miles parts of northern and northeastern away as the crow flies.”3 Ludian County and much of Shanggaoqiao District of Daguan Customs: In the past the County.”1 Although the Wumeng live Wumeng were relatively close to the provincial border with wealthy slaveholders and Guizhou, they are believed to live landlords. Today they are exclusively within Yunnan Province.2 still a proud people who discourage intermarriage Identity: Wumeng is an ancient tribal with other ethnic groups, name that has been used for including other peoples centuries to describe this people. It is classified as “Yi.” In recent probably just a loconym invented by years a few Wumeng have the Chinese because this group lives married partners from Midge Conner in the Wumeng Mountain range. It is other ethnic groups, only to have their “This Christmas for the first time we uncertain what name the Wumeng use families disown them and cut them have had [Yi] visitors. More than thirty for themselves, or whether they have off. came as a result of the preaching of adopted the use of Wumeng as their Mr. Wang. They are a strange-looking name. Religion: Polytheism, ancestor lot, much wilder than the Miao, and worship, and, in the past century, fiercer-looking. One of them was a Yi Language: Wumeng is part of the Christianity are the main religions wizard who taught me some Eastern Yi group of Tibeto-Burman among the Wumeng. characters. They say there are about languages. It is related to Shuixi eight or nine hundred families who Nosu, Mangbu Nosu, and Wusa Nasu, Christianity: The Paris Foreign wish to come. Does this mean that although speakers of these languages Missionary Society commenced work salvation for them has come at have only limited mutual intelligibility in Zhaotong in 1780. The China Inland last?”4 Today, there are believed to be and usually revert to Chinese in order Mission and the Methodists arrived in approximately 5,000 Wumeng to communicate with each other. the area at the start of the twentieth Christians in northeastern Yunnan, century. On Christmas Day, 1905, meeting in small house fellowships Samuel Pollard recorded in his diary: throughout the mountains.

Overview of the Language: Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, Status of Evangelization •Yiliang Wumeng Lolo, Northern Lolo, Yi, •Bijie Zhaotong 71% •Weining Countries: China Eastern Yi •Lupanshui Dialects: 0 •Dongchuan GUIZHOU Pronunciation: “Woo-meng” YUNNAN Other Names: Wumeng Yi Religion: Polytheism, Animism, •Kunming Christianity, Ancestor Worship 21% Population Source: Scale 38,300 (1999 J. Pelkey); Christians: 5,000 8% 0 KM 160 Out of a total Yi population of Scripture: None 6,572,173 (1990 census) Jesus film: None A B C Population in China: Location: NE Yunnan: Zhaotong 38,300 (1999) (16,000), Yongshan (9,000), Gospel Recordings: None A = Have never heard the gospel B = Were evangelized but did not 39,250 (2000) Ludian (8,400), and Daguan Christian Broadcasting: None 49,300 (2010) become Christians (4,900) counties ROPAL code: None C = Are adherents to any form of Location: Yunnan Status: Christianity Religion: Polytheism Officially included under Yi Christians: 5,000

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