Wuerxiya Wuerxiya (Indiana University Bloomington)
Indigo-dyed textiles, including those using tie-dye technique, are a prominent expression of identity among the Bai people. My paper is focused on contemporary tie-dye and indigo craft practice among the Bai people living in a village famed for its textiles – Zhoucheng in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China. In the presentation, I will report on how Bai identity has been constructed and performed through making, circulating, and using tie-dye crafts within a contemporary Chinese national context. I will also touch on intangible cultural heritage (ICH) policy and its impact on Bai indigo crafts, Bai identity, and Bai culture more generally.
Part of 04-07 Minority Peoples, Expressive Culture, and Heritage in—and from—the Southeast Asian Massif, Part 4, Friday, November 03, 8:30 am–10:00 am