@article{3973,
  author = {Michael Long},
  title = {Finding the  Epic of Jangar : the literary construction of an early Oirat epic in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region},
  abstract = {During the early reform period in China beginning in 1978, intellectuals and government agencies expended significant resources collecting,  revising , and publishing folk literature in collaboration with local folk artists and amateur collectors. While folk artists were encouraged to re-engage with past folk practices, academics were required to analyze and preserve this  folk culture   scientifically ,  objectively , and  correctly . This paper utilizes oral narratives of surviving agents and related materials to follow the politicized process of collection,  revision , and publication of what would be called the  Epic of Jangar  of Xinjiang s Oirat Mongols. Through this process, a unified narrative began to emerge that assisted in the construction of a unique  excellent  Mongol - but above all Chinese-Mongol - culture. Through textualization, historical ritualized socializing performances were systematically decontextualized and simultaneously recontextualized as a great contribution to Chinese national literature.},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Asian Ethnicity},
  volume = {22},
  number = {1},
  pages = {90-104},
  issn = {1463-1369},
  doi = {10.1080/14631369.2020.1793103},
}