Popei September 27

Popei language reportedly shares 86% lexical GUIZHOU •Panzhihua similarity with the Central •Dayao •Dali •Wuding Luoluopo language but this • comparison is based on a scant 29 word vocabulary MYANMAR list.”2 Scale L A O VIETNAM 0 KM 160 S

Population in : History: Today’s various 5,000 (1999) branches of the , 5,120 (2000) including the Popei, are 6,430 (2010) Location: Yunnan believed to have come Religion: Animism from common stock. Christians: None Known Legends and records written in the ancient Yi Overview of the Popei script show that the Yi Countries: China society was once Pronunciation: “Poh-pay” matriarchal. The Annals of Other Names: Shuiyi, Shuiyipuo, the Yis in the Southwest Water Yi, Shui Yi, Shuitian, records that in ancient Shuiyizu, Shuitianyizi times the Yi people “only Population Source: knew mothers and not 3,000 to 5,000 (1999 J. Pelkey); Out of a total Yi population of fathers… and women ruled 6,572,173 (1990 census) for six generations in a 3 Location: row.” As the Yi splintered N Yunnan: Chuxiong Prefecture: into numerous divisions Dayao and Yongren counties; Prefecture: Huaping Ministries Target and migrated throughout County Location: Between 3,000 and 5,000 Popei southern China, each group gradually Status: people live in the northern part of Yunnan developed its own language and culture. Officially included under Yi Province close to the border with Sichuan Language: Sino-Tibetan, Province. About 1,000 Popei live in several Customs: Although small in number, the Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, Lolo, Northern Lolo, Yi, Central Yi villages in which is part of Popei celebrate many traditional Yi Dialects: 0 Lijiang Prefecture. In addition, the Popei live festivals. Some of these include the Religion: Animism, Daoism, in Dayao and Yongren counties of Chuxiong Garment Contest Festival which takes place Ancestor Worship Prefecture. Other small pockets of Popei in Zhijie Township of every Christians: None known live scattered throughout the area. The February; and the Get-Together of Princes Scripture: None Popei live in mountainous areas, alongside Festival which is held in Longjie Township of Jesus film: None members of many other Yi subgroups such on the eighth day of the Gospel Recordings: None as the Eastern Nasu, Western Lipo, and fourth lunar month. The people throw water Christian Broadcasting: None Lopi. over each other, sing, dance, and create an ROPAL code: None edible “prince” which they bake and eat. Identity: The Popei have been officially Status of Evangelization combined with dozens of other distinct Religion: As the Popei were gradually 98% ethnolinguistic peoples to form the Yi absorbed by the Han Chinese, they adopted nationality in China. The Popei are widely many of the Han’s Daoist and ancestor known by their Chinese name, Shui Yi, worship rituals. meaning “water Yi.” The Popei (Shui Yi) are often mistaken for the Shuitian (Watery Christianity: The region inhabited by the 2% 0% Fields) group, but the two groups are Popei is one of the least evangelized in all distinct and speak separate languages. of Yunnan Province. Various hidden tribes A B C Popei is this group’s autonym. and groups in the area are locked away by A = Have never heard the gospel remote mountains and rushing streams. B = Were evangelized but did not become Christians Language: An official publication of the Roads into the area were only constructed C = Are adherents to any form of Lijiang Naxi states in the 1950s. Before then access was only Christianity that the Popei are a distinct people group possible by foot or on horseback from the with their own language.1 The Popei used to nearest town. The result is that today there be more populous, but due to intermarriage are no known believers among the with other tribes they have largely been unevangelized Popei. The nearest churches assimilated. Jamin Pelkey states, “The are among the Nasu and Lipo in Wuding.

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