Founding of the Republic of China promoted the spread of nationalism in China， and there also arose in Liangshan region a group of elite Yi people who had received modern education. By studying the ethnic views of Ling Guangdian， Li Shian and Qumu Zangyao， representative figures among the Yi elites in Liangshan， we found that， when faced with national crises， they stressed their identification with the Chinese nation and believed that， in the case of foreign invasion， both Han and Yi peoples belonged to the one Chinese nation and should unite to resist the enemy together. They publicized the idea of ethnic equality， and Li Shi''an used Liu Wenhui''s "Three Governance Policies" to stress the importance of ethnic equality. They constantly petitioned the national government for their people’s political rights in a complicated political environment. They hoped to build a harmonious ethnic relationship， so they vigorously promoted the idea that Yi and Han Chinese peoples are members of a single family， and vigorously promoted the development of all ethnic groups.