CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

NATURE'AND'

CULTURE'CONNECTING'PRACTICE'

Kristal'Buckley'AM'

Cultural'Heritage'Centre'for'Asia'&'the'Pacific'

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

NATURE'AND'CULTURE'

• The$cri(que$of$the$nature/culture$divide$–$and$the$problems$arising$in$heritage$prac(ces$–$are$not$new.$$

• SO,$if$we$all$know$that$this$is$a$problem$–$and$that$the$duality$is$constructed$and$not$universal$–$why$is$it$so$hard$to$make$a$shiA?$

• This$is$the$focus$of$a$joint$project$by$IUCN$and$ICOMOS$called$‘Connec(ng$Prac(ce’,$which$has$as$its$subject$heritage$work$in$the$World$Heritage$system.$

• An$example$of$why$this$is$urgent$work$is$shown$on$the$next$slide.$It$contains$excerpts$from$the$ICOMOS$(cultural$heritage)$and$IUCN$(natural$heritage)$evalua(ons$of$a$single$place…$The$Richtersveld$Cultural$and$Botanical$Landscape$(South$Africa).$

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

TWO'EVALUATIONS'ICOMOS…$$

The$property$has$been$nominated$as$a$mixed$site:$as$a$natural$site$and$as$a$cultural$landscape.!ICOMOS!considers!that!these!two!categories!can!poten5ally!conflict.$On$the$one$hand$the$characteris(cs$of$the$natural$site,$as$outlined$in$the$dossier,$stress$minimum$interven(on$from$grazing$and$the$need$to$reduce$grazing$or$to$remove$it$in$some$places$in$order$to$sustain$the$plant$species.$On$the$other$hand$the$two$thousand$year$old$tradi(ons$of$the$pastoralists$are$valued$as$part$of$the$cultural$aXributes$of$the$landscape,$par(cularly$in$the$way$the$interac(on$between$people$and$nature$has$sustained$the$succulent$karoo.$$

IUCN…$

…The$nomina(on$stresses$that$grazing$pressure$is$very$light$and$that$the$landscape$would$not$change$much$as$a$result$of$con(nued$grazing$at$current$levels.$However,$a$number$of$experts$have$challenged$this$view$and$have$noted$that$even$if$grazing$were$to$stop$immediately$it$would$take$an$extremely$long$(me$for$the$overgrazed$areas$of$the$property$to$recover.$Therefore,$in!the!par5cular!case!of!this!nomina5on,!there!is!a!clear!conflict:!the!tradi5onal!land?use!prac5ces!that!jus5fy!proposing!the!property!as!a!cultural!landscape!are!indeed!adversely!affec5ng!the!values!proposed!as!a!jus5fica5on!for!outstanding!universal!value!under!natural!criteria.!

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

1.'WORDS'MATTER'

We$are$currently$using$‘biocultural$diversity’$as$a$way$of$talking$together.$Here$is$one$defini(on$–$from$The$Christensen$Fund.$

Biocultural*diversity*is*the*interweave*of*humankind*and*nature,*cultural*

pluralism*and*ecological*integrity.*It*arises*from*the*con;nuing*co<evolu;on*

and*adapta;on*between*natural*landscapes*and*ways*of*life,*and*between*

biological*processes*and*cultural*endeavors.*Biocultural*diversity*tends*to*

be*richest*in*loca;ons*where*cultures*have*had*a*long*in;mate*connec;ons*

with*their*landscapes,*is*reflected*within*languages*and*tradi;onal*

ecological*knowledge*systems,*and*manifests*in*beau;ful*ways*through*

cultural*and*ar;s;c*expression.$$

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

2.'NEW'WAYS'TO'WORK''

Finding$new$ways$to$work$is$a$priority.$Our$colleague$Peter$Bille$Larsen$(University$of$Lucerne)$has$outlined$four$models$–$each$with$a$different$star(ng$points$and$different$methods.$

1.  Re]thinking$approach$–$seeks$to$rethink$nature$and$culture$altogether.$

2.  Integra(on$approach$–$looks$for$prac(cal$ways$to$bridge$the$divide.$

3.  Synergy$approach$–$coopera(on$is$driven$by$pragma(c$concerns.$

4.  Cri(cal$approach$–$focuses$on$the$ways$that$heritage$is$framed,$and$looks$to$social$effects$and$power$rela(ons.$

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

3.'REALLY!DEALING'WITH'SUSTAINABILITY'

Giovanni$Boccardi$(UNESCO)$has$recently$summarised$the$need$to$up]end$heritage$conserva(on$for$the$anthropocene:$

…*conserva;on*does*not*seem*to*have*fully*acknowledged*that*heritage*is*only*a*component*of*the*larger*ecosystem*in*which*we*live…*[so]*the*idea*that*heritage*is*a*thing*and*that*the*world*is*divided*into*heritage*islands*and*a*sea*of*non<heritage*may*have*to*give*way*to*a*new*approach.*One*which*appears*more*appropriate*to*describe*reality*is*that*of*heritage*as*a*quality*–*that*is,*the*varying*ability*of*things*to*convey*cultural*meaning*and*values…$

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

4.'FINDING'THE'‘MIDDLE'GROUND’'

Developing$a$‘middle$ground’$between$theory$and$prac(ce$will$be$useful,$especially$given$the$urgency$of$this$work.$$

This$should$be$an$inclusive$process$that$engages$the$scholars,$prac((oners$(inside$and$outside$of$government)$and$everyone$else$too!$

Recognising$that$the$non]human$elements$are$not$passive$is$also$important.$

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

REFERENCES'&'ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS'

•  Boccardi,$G.$2014,$‘From$Mi(ga(on$to$Adapta(on:$a$new$heritage$paradigm$for$the$Anthropocene’.$[in$press$–$BTU$CoXbus,$Germany]$

•  Buckley,$K.,$Badman,$T.$and$Larsen,$P.B.$2014,$‘Crossing$Boundaries:$exploring$biocultural$concepts$and$prac(ces$in$the$World$Heritage$system’.$Paper$presented$to$the$18th$ICOMOS$General$Assembly$Symposium,$Florence,$November$2014.$

•  Richtersveld$Cultural$&$Botanical$Landscape$–$World$Heritage$documents$available$from:$hQp://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1265'

•  The$Christensen$Fund$[website]:$hQps://www.christensenfund.org/'•  Connec(ng$Prac(ce$is$a$joint$program$between$IUCN$and$ICOMOS,$with$the$support$of$the$The$Christensen$Fund,$the$governments$of$Switzerland$and$Germany,$and$many$other$partners$and$colleagues.$$

•  Thanks$especially$to$Peter$Bille$Larsen,$Tim$Badman$and$Le(cia$Leitao$whose$ideas$are$incorporated$in$this$presenta(on.$'

CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

Photo: Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape (Victoria)

Thank you for your attention kristal.buckley@deakin.edu.au'