Gepo, Western March 25

Eastern Gepo, who speak • SICHUAN an Eastern Yi variety.

•Binchuan •Dali History: The history of • •Chuxiong most of the people groups •Wanding in northern and western • Scale Yunnan has been one of 0 KM 160 conflict, warfare, and bloodshed. Great battles Population in : 6,500 (1999) were waged over land, with 6,650 (2000) smaller groups like the 8,350 (2010) Western Gepo invariably Location: Yunnan losing out to the stronger Religion: Polytheism Christians: None Known and more powerful alliances. As a result, many of the Yi groups in Overview of the Yunnan have become more Western Gepo pacified than their wild Countries: China counterparts in Sichuan Pronunciation: “Geh-po” and the adjoining parts of Other Names: northern Yunnan. Gepo, Baiyiren, Tujia, Luo Population Source: 6,500 (1999 J. Pelkey); Customs: The Chinese Out of a total Yi population of themselves were often 6,572,173 (1990 census) caught up in fighting Location: NW Yunnan: Heqing County in northern Dali Prefecture between the different Yi Status: groups. One traveler, who Officially included under Yi journeyed through the

Language: Sino-Tibetan, Jamin Pelkey mountainous area near Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, Location: An estimated 6,500 Western where the Western Gepo live, wrote, “As Lolo, Northern Lolo, Yi, Western Yi Gepo live in many of the villages within the one travels further north the Lolos [Yi] Dialects: 0 Liuhe District of Heqing County in the become more numerous and more Religion: Polytheism, Animism, northern part of the Dali Bai Autonomous aggressive, until the Chinese are veritably 1 Ancestor Worship Prefecture. The Western Gepo are located besieged in their valley. We heard of Christians: None known in the northwestern part of Yunnan nothing but the exploits of these brigands, Scripture: None Province, not far from the main road who fall upon the valley, kill travelers, and Jesus film: None between the tourist towns of Dali and pillage the inhabitants. All the villages are Gospel Recordings: None Lijiang. fortified, and posts occupied by peasants Christian Broadcasting: None armed with pikes, tridents, sabers, and ROPAL code: None Identity: The Western Gepo are one of sometimes with indifferent flintlocks, are approximately 120 distinct ethnic groups permanently established along the 2 Status of Evangelization that have been combined to form the roadside.” 88% official Yi nationality in China. Although they use the same autonym, Gepo, as the Religion: Today most Western Gepo lead Eastern Gepo people farther east in Yunnan quiet lives as hardworking agriculturists. Province, the two groups speak widely They enjoy relatively good relations with 12% different languages. Local Chinese people their neighbors, even with the Nosu who 0% call this group Baiyiren, “white-clad people.” used to force them to do menial labor. Gepo, in their own language, may mean A B C “white people.” Christianity: The Western Gepo are among A = Have never heard the gospel B = Were evangelized but did not the most unreached people groups in become Christians Language: The language spoken by this northern Yunnan Province. They live in an C = Are adherents to any form of Christianity Gepo group is reportedly part of the unevangelized corridor, while many Lisu Western Yi branch of Tibeto-Burman Christians live farther to the west and the languages. The only other Yi language Eastern Lipo and Naluo churches are spoken in Heqing County is Shengzha Nosu, situated to the east. These believers could which is a Northern Yi language. The extra potentially be mobilized to take the gospel title Western has been added to avoid to the Western Gepo and other unreached confusion between this group and the peoples in Heqing.

152 GEPO, WESTERN