Alternative Names
Na are also known as Mosuo, Moso, Yongning Naxi, and Naze.
Location
Na live in southwest China, in an area straddling the border of Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces. Despite the government’s official designation of the Na in Yunnan as a subgroup of the Naxi, and in Sichuan as Mongolian, Na are generally referred to as “Mosuo” in China, and this name has been used by the foreign press as well. The Yongning area in Ninglang County, northern Yunnan, is the cultural center of Na territory. This entry describes the Yongning Na.
Yongning Township consists of a high-altitude basin area (over 2,600 m), and includes mountainous areas that surround the basin (with altitudes reaching over 4,000 m). Half of the large alpine lake, Lugu Lake (whose shores are at 2,700 m), lies in Yongning.
Cultural Overview
Living in the foothills of Tibet, the Na have a population of approximately 40,000. Na speak a Tibeto-Burman language related to other languages found in this region. Many Na...
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Walsh, E.R. (2003). Na. In: Ember, C.R., Ember, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29907-6_71
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