WHRCF2014 May 17 2014 Kimdaejung Convention Center State Violence and Human Rights 「Grassland Policy in Contemporary China and the Responses of the Inner Mongolian Herdsmen」- Zheng shaoxiong whrcf.org

1. Grassland Policies in Contemporary
China and the Responses of the Inner
Mongolian Herdsmen
ZHENG Shaoxiong
(Institute of Sociology, CASS)

2. contents
 1. question and approch
 2. sense of place
 3. spatial processes
3.1 segementation
3.2 exclusion
3.3 occupation
 4. place-remaking
4.1 rumors
4.2 economic and cultural reasons
4.3 restoration of time and space
 5. will grassland community disappear ？

3. 1 、 question and approch
 The production of space （ Lefebvre ， 1991 ）
 Han and Mongolian spatial identity （ Williams ， 2002 ）
 The Analytical framework of “place-space
tensions” （ Taylor ， 1999 ）

4. 2 、 overview of the community
 A Gacha （ administrative village ） in the
west of Inner Mongolia
 220k ㎡ area ： grassland 108 + dissert
112
 population100 ： Mongols 506 + Han 503
 5 teams ： 4 out of 5 with “ 召” in place
name ； not including Oboo team and the
River team which have been separated.

5. 2 、 overview of the community
Historical memories and myths
 “ 独贵龙” and other struggles in Late Qing
and early the Republic ： against the reclamation of
grassland
 Maintaining south of the Camel Avenue
intact
 Buddhist temples and Oboos as the centers of
religious life

6. 2 、 overview of the community
Exchange between Pasture community and the Yellow River irrigation area
（河套地区）
1 、 the exchange of goods: a 、 an enclave in the Yellow River Irrigation area ； b 、 exchange via
the Camel Avenue ；
2 、 the exchange of symbols ： Mongols only when faced with Han Chinese

7. 3 、 spatial processes
3.1 Segmentation:
 Grassland Contracting （ 96-2000 ）
1 、 reducing the use value of pasture （ patch & ribbon ）；
2 、“ naturalization of stratification”
3 、“ naturalization of social fragmentation” ：“ Mongols as a tray of
loose sand”
 Township Merging
1 、 Oboo team seperated in 1950s
2 、 River team seperated in 2005
3 、 the whole Gacha in turmoil during the 1949-present

8. 3 、 spatial processes
3.2 Exclusion: From “Two Bans” to “Two Plantings”
 Grazing ban in 2000 ： stable-breeding communities
& secretive grazing
 Reclamation ban in 2001 ：
1 、 expand the animal husbandry scale ：“ focusing on animal
husbandry, planting forage grass for animal husbandry, fostering
animal husbandry by planting forage grass, and promoting forage
grass planting by animal husbandry” （“以牧为主，为养而种，以种
促养，以养带种 ”）
2 、 two plantings ： feed corn planting and high-quality forage grass
planting

9. 3 、 spatial processes
3.3 Occupation ： social understanding of climate change
（ drought ）
1 、 cloud dispersing cannon by mining
enterprises and brick production factories
2 、 Oboo and signal tower
3 、 trees and Surag flag

10. 3 、 spatial processes
3.4 outcome
 Farm land reclamation ：
1 、 1200 mu in 1982 ， 1% of 100000 mu grassland ；
2 、 5000 mu in 2003 ；
3 、 6600 mu in 2005 ；
4 、 10091 mu in 2008 ；
5 、 15000 mu in ；
6 、 fish ponds on the grassland
 Grassland circulation ：
1 、 300-500RMB/mu before 2008 ；
2 、 1500-2000 in 2010;
3 、 2500-3000 in 2011, even climbing to 5000-8000 。
by July, 20% families have sold their grassland
 50% population have migrated into towns permanently or half permanently

11. 4 、 place-remaking
4.1 rumors as weapons of the weak
 Mongolians as “a tray of loose sand”
 Raising sheep in the way of feeding pigs ：
(lazy Mongolians + hardworking animals) =(hardworking
Han + lazy animals)
 Cloud dispersing cannons
 Body pains caused by farming
 Thanks to the Party by mixing sand into the
wool

12. 4 、 place-remaking
Company sheep Family sheep
Source Purchased from the animal
husbandry farm in Baotou
Personally owned + dowry (E
Qi)
Raising place Complex of the company Home shed
Support basis Circulated grassland developed
into forage growing land
Personally owned natural
pasture
Feeding method Complete shed feeding Grazing + shed feeding
Feeders Han Chinese workers Mongolian shepherd from H Qi
Attribute Commodity Family property
Destination market Social exchange and
consumption at critical stages
of human life
4.2 Distinguishing of the Economic and Cultural Reasons

13. 4 、 place-remaking
4.3 Oboo Restoration and Sacrifice
 1 、 lost land recovery and ritual purification
 2 、 Praying for rains ： fighting against signal tower
and cloud dispersing cannon
 3 、 restoration of public space ： a platform for
rumors
 4 、 restoration of collective identity ： Lamas
chanting and Mongolian costumes

14. 5 、 Are Grassland Communities
Disappearing ？

15. The End

please contact me:
zhengsx@cass.org.cn