The dissertation is focused on three interrelated aspects: 1) the development of a decolonial theoretical framework and collaborative research methodology with the Kamëntšá people centred on the... Show moreThe dissertation is focused on three interrelated aspects: 1) the development of a decolonial theoretical framework and collaborative research methodology with the Kamëntšá people centred on the respect for Kamëntšá ethics, principles and social norms, and the consequent reconstruction, revitalization and dignification of Kamëntšá knowledge, arts, spirituality and notions of time and space; 2) the history and colonization processes of the Kamëntšá people and Uaman Tabanok, its ancestral lands, with a specific emphasis on the work of the Capuchin missionaries, particularly their concept of enculturation and how it transformed and resignified Kamëntšá culture and religion using its own arts, narratives and rituals which were in harmony with Christianity; and 3) the concept of “cultural heritage” and the role of academic disciplines, research practices, government institutions and cultural policies in the perpetuation of colonialism through the appropriation, interpretation, control and resignification of the objects, monuments and cultures of Indigenous peoples, and their consequent contribution to maintaining inequality, racism and historical social injustices. Show less
Worldwide, the legalisation of customary land rights has become a strategy for resolving land conflicts between local communities with companies and state agencies. In Indonesia, NGOs have been... Show moreWorldwide, the legalisation of customary land rights has become a strategy for resolving land conflicts between local communities with companies and state agencies. In Indonesia, NGOs have been promoting that strategy through campaigns for changing the legislation and directly assisting adat communities in concrete cases of land conflicts. However, success has been limited.Using a socio-legal research method, this book demonstrates the complexity of the legal recognition process of customary land rights in land dispute settings. It shows how the state legal framework deliberately repressed customary land rights over time, from the colonial period to the present. Detailed case studies also reveal competing interests among community members and their changing strategies in facing land conflicts. Finally, the book explores what happened in practice after communities did obtain legal recognition and whether that indeed solved their land problems.This dissertation invites indigenous rights activists and scholars to rethink the efficacy of the legal recognition strategy in using customary land rights claims as a solution to land conflicts. Show less
The Philippine crocodile is a critically endangered species, endemic to the Philippine Islands. Indiscriminate hunting, the use of destructive fishing practices and the conversion of wetland... Show moreThe Philippine crocodile is a critically endangered species, endemic to the Philippine Islands. Indiscriminate hunting, the use of destructive fishing practices and the conversion of wetland habitat into rice fields continue to threaten the few remaining Philippine crocodile populations in the wild. This thesis describes the in-situ conservation efforts for the species in the northern Sierra Madre on Luzon by the Mabuwaya Foundation. Traditions, emotions and ethics form important reasons for rural communities in the northern Sierra Madre to support the conservation of the Philippine crocodile in their surroundings. But in contemporary conservation discourses such an argument is easily dismissed as hopelessly romantic, elitist or even irrational. In fact raising awareness, fostering pride and empowering rural communities to protect the resources they need and value is, in the end, a more pragmatic, pro-poor and rea listic strategy to mobilize local support for the protection of the Philippine crocodile than a narrow focus on generating economic incentives. Conservation efforts can be significantly strengthened if cultural and intrinsic values are taken into account. Pride, interest and respect offer the best hope for the survival of the Philippine crocodile in the 21st century. Show less
The thesis explores how indigenous people access land rights through claims. Land claims happens on the encounters between different regimes of property. The authors found indigenous people have... Show moreThe thesis explores how indigenous people access land rights through claims. Land claims happens on the encounters between different regimes of property. The authors found indigenous people have many ways to express their land claims since Japanese time. There are individual claims on lands like reservation land that suggests individualism among indigenous communities. There are collective claims on autonomy, co-management of river resources and development projects. Various mapping activities are analyzed to show how indigenous connect them with the lands. The thesis constructs a framework to express land property claims that are based on indigenous ideas on human unit, institution, rights and land resources. Show less
The dissertation reviews the problems inherent in the interpretation and protection of Mexico__s indigenous cultural heritage. In this context it pays special attention to (a) the relationships... Show moreThe dissertation reviews the problems inherent in the interpretation and protection of Mexico__s indigenous cultural heritage. In this context it pays special attention to (a) the relationships between ceremonial architecture and the ritual landscape or sacred space in the Mesoamerican worldview, (b) the colonial transformation of these relationships and symbolic meanings, and (c) the possibilities for adequate restoration in a way that may also lead to more local historical consciousness and economic benefit. The dissertation focuses on the cultural region of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico and discusses (1) the restoration of a chapel in the Zapotec town Macuilxochitl, (2) the meanings and associations of basic geometric forms and proportions in Mesoamerican architecture and art, (3) the Lienzo of Otla, an early-colonial painting in native style that recently has come to light, and (4) a set of present-day construction and developmental activities, known as the Project: Cultura Mixteca, ruta que siguieron los dominicos. Show less
