Convergence of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Contemporary Approaches in Cultural Heritage Management

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Abstract

Amidst the unprecedented growth of the global experiential economy in the tourism industry, the conservation of cultural heritage has become an issue of wide interest and concern. The exploitation of cultural heritage in its various forms for tourism development has been seen as offering a niche market with unlimited potential and often an inexpensive approach to appeal to a different tourism market segment. Such a phenomenal growth in demand has led to a paradigm shift in focus from mere consumption of cultural heritage tourism products towards a higher inclination for sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Years ago, intergenerational custodians of cultural heritage proposed and utilized various approaches to safeguard their cultural heritage. However, evidence from extant literature reveals that most of these approaches seemed fragmented and with no consideration for the needs and values of previous custodians of these heritage resources. To that effect, there have existed unresolved conflicts between traditional and contemporary cultural heritage management practices. Sustainable cultural heritage, however, calls for the active engagement of multiple stakeholders across cultural heritage tourism attractions. The marginalization of both traditional and or indigenous perspectives in cultural heritage management has rendered efforts in conserving these resources piecemeal and inadequate. Therefore the focus of this chapter is to interrogate the convergence of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and contemporary approaches in Sustainable cultural heritage management. This would allow policymakers and all interested parties to design ways in which the two methods of cultural heritage management that have long existed, but at two different ends of the continuum can leverage each other. Content analysis was used to draw insights from various scholars and cases in the developed world. The case in point is Zimbabwe. The study findings revealed that the adoption of modern approaches to cultural heritage management resulted in either total or semi-total marginalization of traditional institutions of resource management fomenting conflict, confusion, and semi-anarchy. Many empirically-based models have been developed for conserving cultural heritage, but as evidence of sustainability challenges in heritage tourism indicates, whatever models have been developed did not achieve much. Seemingly there are more myths than realities informing the models adopted to deal with heritage conservation in Zimbabwe. This study problematizes the utility value of myths and models uncritically `borrowed’ from past experiences as well as ‘copied and pasted’ from the West for managing heritage conservation. Results of the study demonstrated that both IKS heritage conservation systems and contemporary approaches to cultural heritage management focus on creating sustainable ecosystems, preservation, and conservation of cultural approaches and have both employed hegemonic approaches to conservation and preservation. The study, therefore proposed an integrative framework to forge a partnership between traditional institutions and modern institutions of governance.