Byse Workshop Session 7: Localism, Cultural Heritage Protection and Indigenous Rights

Thursday, April 16, 3:45-5:15 pm

In his influential 1980s essay, John Merryman identified two competing ways of thinking about cultural property: through nationalistic or universal lenses. In the decades since, scholars, as well as international organizations like UNESCO, have promoted a third approach, centered on the most affiliated local communities. Yet critics have underscored the persistent invisibility of such communities within a predominantly state-centric heritage regime. One key issue is the structure of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, which grants only national governments the authority to nominate sites, often sidelining heritage that challenges national narratives. Another is the centrality of experts in inscription and preservation processes, which can conflict with more relational, practice based understandings of heritage. In this session, we will explore these tensions alongside critiques such as Karen Engle’s, which show how the recognition of indigenous cultural rights can entrap communities in fixed, legible identities. Is there room for a more dynamic engagement with cultural heritage? Do the universal, national, and local approaches genuinely reflect distinct affiliations, or are they discursive frameworks mobilized in the service of competing heritage claims?

Suggested readings are available on Canvas.