van Donkersgoed, Joëlla; Brown, Jessica --- "ICH as the prime asset of a cultural landscape and seascape: a case study of the Banda Islands, Indonesia ICH as the prime" [2018] ELECD 735; in Waelde, Charlotte; Cummings, Catherine; Pavis, Mathilde; Enright, Helena (eds), "Research Handbook on Contemporary Intangible Cultural Heritage" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018) 363

Book Title: Research Handbook on Contemporary Intangible Cultural Heritage

Editor(s): Waelde, Charlotte; Cummings, Catherine; Pavis, Mathilde; Enright, Helena

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN: 9781786434005

Section: Chapter 15

Section Title: ICH as the prime asset of a cultural landscape and seascape: a case study of the Banda Islands, Indonesia ICH as the prime

Author(s): van Donkersgoed, Joëlla; Brown, Jessica

Number of pages: 16

Abstract/Description:

In recent decades, heritage practitioners and scholars have been rethinking conventional dichotomies related to culture vs. nature, and to tangible vs. intangible heritage. In this chapter, we suggest that adopting a cultural landscape perspective reveals the intrinsic connections among all dimensions of heritage, allowing for more holistic, community-based approaches to conservation. Examining the case of the Banda Islands, whose vibrant intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is inextricably linked to the natural environment, we explore the central role of local communities in sustaining their heritage through practices that reinforce these nature-culture connections in the landscape and seascape. We discuss the potential role of ICH, including traditional systems of knowledge and governance, in the ongoing process of the Banda Islands’ nomination to the World Heritage list. Recognizing the role of these communities in creating, safeguarding and sustaining cultural landscapes/seascapes and their associated ICH will strengthen their ability to have their heritage acknowledged and will empower them in ensuring its long-term stewardship.