The Micha have been officially counted as part of the Yi nationality in China. It is uncertain how they relate to other Yi groups. Because of their similar names, it is possible the Micha were once related to the Michi people who live much farther east in Chuxiong Prefecture of Yunnan.
At the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), eleven different Yi tribes were listed in the records of the region around Dali. Ralph Covell notes, "When the Mongols under Genghis Khan defeated the Dali kingdom ... some of the Yi nationalities were dispersed throughout Yunnan. The area about the River of Golden Sand [Yangtze] to the north remained unconquered, and tribal kings remained in power there until as late as 1727. Even after the Manchus, with great savagery, suppressed the tribes and put their kings to death, thousands of [Yi] refused to acknowledge defeat and withdrew across the River of Golden Sand to the Daliangshan area. Here they remained in haughty arrogance, resisting Chinese control, at least in the high mountains, until the advent of the People's Republic of China. The Yi of Yunnan accepted Chinese rule and gradually, with periodic resistance, adopted Chinese culture and many features of Chinese religion."
The Mitcha (Micha) were mentioned in an early book as one of only two people groups in Yunnan that the Yi were willing to marry, the other being the Bai. In turn, the Micha refused to intermarry with anyone except the Bai and the Lisu. Today most Micha are hard working agriculturists who prefer to be left alone in their mountain community. Many of their young people prefer to move to the cities and towns where they can earn more money - and to return home periodically for festivals and special occasions.
After living alongside the Han Chinese and Bai for many centuries, the Micha have absorbed many of the religious practices of their neighbors, including aspects of Daoism, Buddhism, and ancestor worship. Little remains of the traditional polytheistic beliefs of the Micha, although the elderly still worship various spirits including the spirit of the village which they believe resides in the largest tree near the community.
The Micha are believed to be an unreached people group with no known Christians, although there is a small smattering of Three-Self (government sanctioned) churches throughout the area, as well as some Catholic influence. The Micha, however, being a small and isolated group, are not exposed to Christian witness.
Scripture Prayers for the Micha in China.
Profile Source: Operation China, Asia Harvest Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Global Prayer Digest: 2017-07-23 |
People Name General | Micha |
People Name in Country | Micha |
Pronunciation | Mee-cha |
Population this Country | 33,000 |
Population all Countries | 33,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
Alternate Names | Mitcha; Nanjian |
People ID | 18593 |
ROP3 Code | 114212 |
Country | China | ||
Region | Asia, Northeast | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 17 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | More than 1,000 people belonging to the Micha ethnic group live in areas in and around Aliwu and Santaishan in Nanjian County of Yunnan Province. The Micha live at the northern end of the Ailao Mountains, southeast of the ancient town of Dali. Source: Operation China, 2000 |
Country | China |
Region | Asia, Northeast |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 17 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | More than 1,000 people belonging to the Micha ethnic group live in areas in and around Aliwu and Santaishan in Nanjian County of Yunnan Province. The Micha live at the northern end of the Ailao Mountains, southeast of the ancient town of Dali.. Source: Operation China, 2000 |
Primary Language | Miqie (33,000 speakers) |
Language Code | yiq Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Unknown |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Miqie (33,000 speakers) |
Language Code | yiq Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Miqie |
Primary Language: Miqie
Bible Translation Status: Unspecified
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name |
---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching |
Primary Religion: | Ethnic Religions |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
30.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
65.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
5.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Christian Segments ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Anglican |
Unknown
|
Independent |
Unknown
|
Orthodox |
Unknown
|
Other Christian |
Unknown
|
Protestant |
Unknown
|
Roman Catholic |
Unknown
|
Photo Source | Copyrighted © 2022 Operation China, Asia Harvest All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Operation China, Asia Harvest Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Read more |