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Íhé Ńkètá and Òkè: concepts and practice of indigenous cultural heritage management in the Igbo cultural area of south-eastern Nigeria

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Abstract

This study explored an alternative understanding of heritage through the lens of the Igbo cultural group in Nigeria. It used the Igbo concept of “ Ihe Nketa ” or “ Oke ” to examine the complex relationship between indigeneity, attachment and sustainability in the context of heritage management and conservation. A qualitative approach was used, and ethnographic methods of data collection that include interviews and focus-group discussions (FGD) applied. The interview participants included village chiefs and the elderly (men and women), and the FGD comprised village elders (men and women) and youths. The interview guide contained demographic questions to determine age and occupation, followed by interactive open-ended questions stemming from the study's objectives. The interviews were conducted in the language most preferred by the respondents such as the Igbo language, Nigerian Pidgin English and the English language. The evidence generated was thematically analysed in a descriptive and interpretive manner. The study found that while the Igbo understanding of heritage have related meaning with the definitions offered by the United Nations, their approach to heritage conservation takes a different turn through the concepts of “ Ihe Nketa ” or “ Oke, ” which recognises the ephemerality of tangible heritage resources with particular focus on the preservation of intangible heritage–knowledge over objects. The Igbo approach describes the framework for the acquisition, use and transfer of heritage resources in the Igbo society. This study contributes to the understanding of the concept of heritage through the lens of the Igbo of Nigeria. Against the centralised national management approach to heritage, this paper argues that achieving sustainable heritage management in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria requires the recognition of the principles that conserve(d) and manage(d) heritage among the indigenous/local peoples.

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... Examples of the Igbo concept of "Ihe Nkétá" or "òkè" typify the dualism between indigenous perspectives of land, and heritage conservation [32]. Igbos' view of heritage is tied with traditions, cultural norms, and practices held by a group of people about land attachment, a type of indigeneity (Ugwuanyi [33], as cited in [32]). ...
... Examples of the Igbo concept of "Ihe Nkétá" or "òkè" typify the dualism between indigenous perspectives of land, and heritage conservation [32]. Igbos' view of heritage is tied with traditions, cultural norms, and practices held by a group of people about land attachment, a type of indigeneity (Ugwuanyi [33], as cited in [32]). To some extent, heritage offers a symbolic stance for the custodians of the land within the communities who consider themselves attached to it and see the land as tangible and intangible assets (p. ...
... This view is shared by the entire community, and any attempt to remove indigenous peoples from the land is deemed to be uprootedness or detachment. The land is also a symbolic living space with communal memories, a known space, Nnebedum ( [34], as cited in [32]) noted. It is a form of symbolic interactionism (SI), Blumer [35] would contend. ...
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This chapter seeks to present indigenous perspectives from emic and etic frameworks to ascertain how cross-cultural studies fit within a new explorative paradigmatic realm. The role of context to understand how the human relationship in all social settings adopts a pluralistic and inclusive mantra is paramount to address. Discussions on specific lenses of the emic and etic approaches, looking at indigenous concepts will be presented to highlight the agency and cultural tentacles deeply rooted in the emic and etic pathways. Nine key pillars are considered: 1) succinct international and indigenous emic and etic perspectives, 2) indigenous perspectives of conflict resolution, 3) shared trends in emic and etic perspectives, 4) clarification of concepts, 5) cross-cultural perspectives and community settings, 6) indigenous population resiliency, 7) social adaptation and affirmation, 8) healthcare disparities, and 9) philosophical and theoretical perspectives.
... All members of this representative/consultative assembly possess a generationally transferred Ọfϙ as a symbol of their authority. The Igbo are also a largely patriarchal society made up of patrilineages locally called 'Ụmụnna', through which heritage is passed down from one generation to another (Onyemechalu and Ugwuanyi 2021). Heads of these lineages are keepers of lineage heirloom, including the sacred ancestral Ọfϙ. ...
... Map of Igboland in present-day Nigeria (Source:Onyemechalu and Ugwuanyi 2021). ...
... To this extent, the heritage discourse in the current legislation is a continuation of that of earlier statutes which embody particular ways of defining, seeing, and interpreting heritage in the countryways that are not sufficiently inclusive of indigenous perspectives. This is an issue internationally, with Onyemechalu and Ugwuanyi (2021) recognising the need to preserve the 'intangible heritage-knowledge over objects' (p. 1). They draw on understandings of the indigenous peoples of south-east Nigeria, whose approach to notions of heritage which is as much a social and cultural process as it is a matter of legal definition. ...
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... I believe that futures thinking within critical heritage studies should be inclusive of other experiences, lest it fails to be different from the past-creating 'difficult futures'. Learning about other (mostly non-Western) cultures' prioritisation of the preservation of their intangible heritage over the tangible (see Mire 2007;Onyemechalu & Ugwuanyi 2021) affords an opportunity to formulate more inclusive and sustainable plans for cultural heritage futures. Perhaps doing so may help address any Book Reviews worries about limited spatial and conservation resources occasioned by Avrami's 'unending World Heritage listings' (Chapter 13). ...
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This is a review of the book, Cultural Heritage and the Future, edited by C. Holtorf & A. Högberg. View Here: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.126
... Doing so is often likened to digging up one's buried relative; a crime that angers the gods. Many scholars have noted the role of taboos as one of the various traditional management mechanisms for safeguarding cultural heritage (Onyemechalu and Ugwuanyi, 2021;Poulios, 2014;Peoples and Bailey, 2012;Oriji, 2011;Joffroy, 2005;Ndoro and Pwiti, 2001). Jianguo et al. (2003) observed that for a long time, humans' societies have tried to conserve or protect natural and cultural landscapes for various value-based reasons. ...
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... In urban areas, in general, people are more comfortable building houses with modern concepts or living in houses and apartments. Not only in cities, rural communities have also begun to change their homes into modern buildings (Onyemechalu & Ugwuanyi, 2021). These changes are, of course, adapted to current needs. ...
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Thesis
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Landscape and temporality are the major unifying themes of archaeology and social‐cultural anthropology. This paper attempts to show how the temporality of the landscape may be understood by way of a ‘dwelling perspective’ that sets out from the premise of people's active, perceptual engagement in the world. The meaning of ‘landscape’ is clarified by contrast to the concepts of land, nature and space. The notion of ‘taskscape’ is introduced to denote a pattern of dwelling activities, and the intrinsic temporality of the taskscape is shown to lie in its rhythmic interrelations or patterns of resonance. By considering how taskscape relates to landscape, the distinction between them is ultimately dissolved, and the landscape itself is shown to be fundamentally temporal. Some concrete illustrations of these arguments are drawn from a painting by Bruegel, The Harvesters.
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The employment of autochthony discourses has become a prominent feature of contemporary politics around the world. Autochthony discourses link identity and space, enabling the speaker to establish a direct claim to territory by asserting that one is an original inhabitant, a ‘son of the soil’. Drawing from recent African examples, this contribution argues that the employment of autochthony discourses is an attractive response to the ontological uncertainty around political identities within the postmodern/postcolonial condition. Autochthony discourses can resonate deeply with populations longing for a sense of primal security in the face of uncertainty generated by a variety of sources, from the processes of contemporary globalisation to the collapse of neo-patrimonial structures. Yet this sense of security is inevitably fleeting, given the instability and plasticity of autochthony claims. The contribution examines why these discourses are often characterised by violence, and argues that autochthony is frequently linked to the desire for order inherent in contemporary state making, which invariably relies on multiple manifestations of violence.
Article
The protection of cultural heritage sites is normally evaluated in terms of universal and scholarly significance criteria, although increasingly the contributions of sites and monuments to the economic and social well-being of communities have been recognized. Human rights discourse, despite its many problems and limitations, offers a possible mechanism for evaluating heritage in terms of social justice and well-being. A cultural heritage right based on descent is particularly problematic and cannot be supported by archaeological, historical, and anthropological theories. A cultural heritage right based on whether people are in practice able to participate in sites and objects in such a way as to fulfill their capabilities is an alternative, as long as it also includes responsibilities to other communities with conflicting interests. However, few archaeologists and heritage managers have the training and expertise to work out short- and long-term economic and social benefits of artifacts, sites, and monuments, and they have limited experience in facilitating human capabilities [End Page 861] through heritage beyond scholarship, aesthetics, and identity politics.
Article
The history of Igbo scholarship has benefits from pioneer scholars such as Victor Uchendu, Ikenna Nzimiro, Don Ohadike, Michael Mbabuike, Ezenwa-Ohaeto, and Angela Uwalaka, among many others. Collectively, their scholarship defined the contours of Igbo political economy, anthropology, and sociology, and linguistic. As an agricultural people, the history of the Igbo people was defined by their relationship to the land and their ecology. These scholars, to whom I humbly devote this piece, have touched upon the changing nature of Igbo political economy as much as the link between Igbo agriculture and their identity.
Article
This article argues that the Somali people have a distinctive view on heritage and a different approach to its preservation relevant to their society. It suggests that a locally appropriate theoretical framework for heritage management and archaeological research can only be achieved if this local approach is taken into consideration and integrated into archaeological and heritage methodologies. The lack of qualified Somalis and indigenous perspectives in the archaeological research and heritage management policies characterizes Somali cultural heritage and archaeological research history. This research shows that previous approaches that have been pursued lacked dialogue and incorporation of local views of heritage practice. This lack of dialogue has been of paramount importance for the failure of the preservation of Somali cultural heritage, evident both in the previous neglect of its preservation and in the current looting and destruction of archaeological sites in Somaliland, Puntland and south-central Somalia. It is demonstrated how Somali indigenous perspectives are concurring and contributing to world heritage management and archaeological research methods. I suggest that any heritage work must integrate local approaches and trained local groups should lead archaeological research and heritage management in order to achieve sustainable development and self-representation.
After Captain Cook: The Archaeology of the Recent Indigenous Past in Australia
  • D Byrne
Byrne, D. (2002), "An archaeology of attachment: cultural heritage and the post-contact", in Harrison, R. and Williamson, C. (Eds), After Captain Cook: The Archaeology of the Recent Indigenous Past in Australia, AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek, CA, pp. 135-146.
We will not relocate until our ancestors and shrines come with us
  • W Apoh
  • K Gavua
Apoh, W. and Gavua, K. (2016), "We will not relocate until our ancestors and shrines come with us", in Schmidt, P.R. and Pikirayi, I. (Eds), Community Archaeology and Heritage in Africa: Decolonizing Practice, Routledge, London, pp. 204-223.
Accounting for what we treasure: economic valuation of public heritage
  • S Ellwood
Ellwood, S. (2018), "Accounting for what we treasure: economic valuation of public heritage", in Labrador, A.M. and Silberman, N.A. (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Public Heritage Theory and Practice, doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190676315.013.21.
Indigenous philosophies, counter epistemologies and anti-colonial education
  • G Dei
Dei, G. (2016), "Indigenous philosophies, counter epistemologies and anti-colonial education", in Lehman, W. (Ed.), Reader in Sociology of Education, Oxford University Press, London, pp. 190-206.
Definition: heritage [online] English heritage
  • English Heritage
English Heritage (2013d), "Definition: heritage [online] English heritage, UK", available at: http://www. english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/hpg/hpr-definitions/h/536272/.
Definition: cultural heritage [online] English heritage
  • English Heritage
English Heritage (2013e), "Definition: cultural heritage [online] English heritage, UK", available at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/hpg/hprdefinitions/c/534826/.
States and people of the Niger-Benue confluence area
  • A Obayemi
Obayemi, A. (1980), "States and people of the Niger-Benue confluence area", in lkimi (Ed.), Groundwork of Nigerian History, Longman, London, pp. 144-164.
Heritage management, theory and practice
  • J Schofield
Schofield, J. (2008), "Heritage management, theory and practice", in Fairclough, G., Harrison, R., Jameson Jnr., J. and Schofield, J. (Eds), The Heritage Reader, Routledge, London, pp. 15-30.
Male Daughters, Female Husbands, Zed Books
  • I Amadiume
Amadiume, I. (1987), Male Daughters, Female Husbands, Zed Books, New Jersey.
Indigenous knowledge, cultural values and sustainable development in Africa
  • A Apusigah
Apusigah, A. (2011), "Indigenous knowledge, cultural values and sustainable development in Africa", A Paper Presented at the 2nd Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit, Nigeria, August 2011, pp. 1-17.
From objects to processes: UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage
  • C Bortolotto
Bortolotto, C. (2007), "From objects to processes: UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage", Journal of Museum Ethnography, Vol. 19, pp. 21-33, available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40793837.
Nigeria and Mali: the case for repatriation and protection of cultural heritage in post-colonial Africa
  • E A Klesmith
Klesmith, E.A. (2014), "Nigeria and Mali: the case for repatriation and protection of cultural heritage in post-colonial Africa", Notre Dame Journal of International and Comparative Law, Vol. 4 No. 1:1, pp. 45-76, available at: http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/ndjicl/vol4/iss1/1.
The process of empowerment
  • S Longwe
Longwe, S. (1997), "The process of empowerment", in AMwA (Ed.), Compilation of Background Working Papers and Lectures Prepared for the 1st African Women Leadership Institute, Entebbe, Uganda, Feb 22 -March 14, 1997, pp. 2-19.
Monumental challenges: the lawfulness of destroying cultural heritage during peacetime
  • K Wangkeo
Wangkeo, K. (2003), "Monumental challenges: the lawfulness of destroying cultural heritage during peacetime", Yale Journal of International Law, Vol. 28 No. 1, available at: http://digitalcommons. law.yale.edu/yjil/vol28