Every culture is a crystallization of wisdom accumulated from generation to generation. The continuity and development of the knowledge system depends on specialists and foremost exponents of an ethnic group who hand it over from generation to generation. The transmission of culture cannot be handed over without the lay people, but it will depend more upon the role of folk masters as outstanding representatives of traditional cultures.
Dongba, the Naxi priests, are not only cultural specialists who hand over and develop the traditional knowledge and spiritual values of Naxi people, they are also key persons for the conservation of the natural environment and
resources as well as environmental educators in a community. They preach and explain the traditional concept about the relation of nature and humans based on the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in a community.
They promote a harmonious relationship between man and nature in their society. The ignorance of traditional knowledge by the current educational system in many societies has caused the decline of the mentorship of indigenous cultural specialists. At the same time, the absence of cultural specialists speeds up the erosion of the traditional knowledge system. Mentorship and training of indigenous cultural specialists should not be ignored, nor should it be done as a superficial instrumentalisation of ethnic cultural resources for tourism. For example, handicraft products, dancing and singing performances based on the contents of Dongba culture which are not seriously handed over by the cream of the Dongba culture will not mould the spirit and national characteristics of Naxi People. Furthermore, the link to identity will get lost. As a result, the culture of ethnic group becomes something beautiful in appearance but empty of spirit.
Ethnographic data from Western China has proven that cultural values and spiritual power are important for the
conservation of nature by maintaining a harmonious relationship between nature and humans. In many areas where indigenous people live, one cannot depend just upon the regulations established by the different levels governmental agencies for standardizing human activities. It is more efficient and useful to have a mechanism of self-control and self-governance based on the traditional cultural values and spiritual beliefs. The mentorship and training of indigenous cultural specialists is useful for the achievement of this goal and improvement of the mechanism in the Naxi
society, this will be the main content of my contribution.
