Cultural Contestation: Heritage, Identity and the Role of Government

Abstract

Heritage Practices, cultural contestation and tHe sHaPing of tHe cultural landscaPe In this volume, a variety of cases of cultural contestation has been discussed, ranging from the construction of a new national museum to all-out war, and from an attempt at changing a nation's favorite festivity to ethnic cleansing. What all these cases show is that heritage is part and parcel of a society's symbolic landscape. Heritage practices not only give meaning to it, but also construct and reconstruct it at the same time. Identity is deeply intertwined with the symbolic landscape, as are the feelings of belonging and exclusion that are expressed by it. Therefore, the effects of the shaping and re-shapingv the symbolic landscape can be severe: When communities do not feel represented by it, emotions run high and cultural contestation can occur. As the contributors to this volume show, governments play various roles in heritage practices. They articulate and reproduce existing historical

Reviewing Sepa Language Extinction of the Indigenous Peoples of Amahai, Moluccas, Indonesia

“…Cultural contestation is talking about identity which expressed in the realm of symbolic society consist of cultural practice, expression, and social engagement (Rodenberg & Wagenaar 2018). Cultural expression is a very important element for group identity.…”