Local people’s perceptions and valorization of cultural heritage sites at Chongoleani peninsular, northern coast of Tanzania
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Date
2020
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Some African scholars and cultural heritage practitioners perceive and conceptualize heritage based on criteria and variables established in Europe and North America. These criteria include scale, visibility, permanence, centrality and ubiquity. Because many of the scholars were trained in Europe and North American education system, they always skew towards ‘northern thinking’. They consequently fail to understand what really constitutes cultural heritage in the African local contexts. Thus the majority cannot effectively influence informed decision- making at the policy level on the cultural heritage requiring protection in the interests of local communities and the nation at large. Some respective African governments have therefore narrowly conceptualised cultural heritage to mostly mean observable tangible sites such as monuments and/ or protected area, which. Consequently, local people offer little support to protect cultural heritage sites, which are protected by the governments. The current study conducted at Chongoleani Peninsular along the northern coast of Tanzania provides an example of the above existing situation. At Chongoleani Peninsular along the northern coast of Tanzania, there is a Wall Enclosure, which on the 6th of January 1961, was listed in the National Heritage Register of protected cultural heritage resources under the Department of Antiquities. Close to the Wall Enclosure, there is a sacred properties are under two different administrative jurisdictions, thus enabling a comparison on the perception and valorisation of the same. This study examines the level of community’s commitment to offer support in protecting the two sites. The field results reveal that the local people value most and protect the sacred grove than they accord support to the protection of the Wall Enclosure gazetted by the Government of Tanzania as a national monument. As the sacred grove located close to a national monument enjoys full time protection, the local people continue mining stones from the Wall Enclosure to build new houses. This situation calls for reconsideration of protecting larger cultural landscape rather than a Wall Enclosure only.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr.Wilbert Chagula Library, (THS EAF CC77.H5.T34S34)
Keywords
Archeology, Historic sites, Public union, Chongoleani peninsular, Tanzania
Citation
Said, C. (2020). Local people’s perceptions and valorization of cultural heritage sites at Chongoleani peninsular, northern coast of Tanzania, Masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam.