Pumi

Young pumi.

The Pumi (Chinese: 普米族; pinyin: Pǔmǐ zú) are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China. Its approximate population is 34,000 people who live mainly in the province of Yunnan. Other groups are found in Sichuan province. They are ethnically related to the Qiang.

Language

The Pumi language belongs to the Tibeto-Burmese language group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. In the past, the pumi used the Tibetan characters, especially for religious matters. However, this custom quickly fell into disuse. Today, the Pumi use Chinese and Latin characters in their writing.

History

The Pumi are the Chinese ethnic group with the most notable migratory process. Originally, they were nomads who inhabited the Qinghai Tibetan plain. Later, in the IV century B.C. C. moved to warmer areas near the Hengduan mountains.

In the 7th century they moved into northern Sichuan; in the 14th century towards northwest Yunnan. A significant number of pumís settled in the area as farmers. Local landowners dominated the pumi economy. These landowners along with the Naxi chiefs also engaged in the slave trade.

With the Cultural Revolution (1962-76), the landowners lost their power and the introduction of hospitals and factories began in the area.

Culture

Although clothing changes depending on the area, in general, pumi women tend to wear jackets with side buttons and long skirts. They also use belts of various colors. They protect themselves from the cold with goat skins that they place on their shoulders as a shawl.

The men wear goatskin vests and long pants, complete with a Tibetan hat. Children cannot wear this type of clothing or participate in social life until they are thirteen years old. At that age they undergo a ritual ablution after which they become part of the adult world.

Although polygamy is permitted, most pumi are monogamous. The average age for marriage is 15 years for women and 18 for men. Although this practice is increasingly in disuse, pumi marriages used to be arranged by the parents when the future spouses were still children.

Religion

Some Pumi practice the zanbala religion, also known as dingba. Zanbala literally means 'white land'. This religion consists of the veneration of three gods and the spirits of the ancestors. The oldest man is in charge of presiding over the rituals and prayers.

Almost every village has its own local gods that are worshiped during seasonal festivities. In most houses, a central fire plays an important role in pumi beliefs. The guests at the house can never touch it and the oldest man in the family performs various rituals that serve to represent respect for the ancestors.

Due to the influence exerted by the Tibetans over the centuries, some Pumi have adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion.