10.7275/0C3Q-9D71
Buckley, Kristal
Kristal
Buckley
Deakin University
Leitao, Leticia
Leticia
Leitao
Mitchell, Nora J.
Nora J.
Mitchell
University of Vermont
Ishizawa, Maya
Maya
Ishizawa
Brown, Jessica L.
Jessica L.
Brown
Franceschini, Nicole
Nicole
Franceschini
Brown, Steve H.
Steve H.
Brown
University of Canberra
Naturecultures guidance: steps in our journey
University of Massachusetts Amherst
2022
Presentation
The emergence of cultural landscapes concepts heralded important mindset shifts in heritage practices. These have underpinned development of landscape approaches that recognise larger-scale interactions and the relationships between natural and cultural elements and processes. However, it has become apparent that an enduring nature-culture binary in heritage practices can result in adverse outcomes ‘on the ground’.
The ISCCL has provided a forum and a source of global leadership for these issues, including the exploration of the implications of working with naturecultures to achieve conservation outcomes that are effective and inclusive. Naturecultures was coined by Donna Haraway in 2003 to recognise that natural and human environments, including non-human and more-than-human beings (such as spirits, creation ancestors, divinities) are intimately bound or entangled within different places. There is a now a growing desire to move beyond a curious consideration of the conceptual possibilities of naturecultures to implement its meanings in a wide array of everyday heritage management practices.
Physically separated by the global pandemic, we are a small group of natural and cultural heritage practitioners and ISCCL members who decided to step briefly away from our organisational and institutional affiliations to connect with each other, reflect on our experiences, and offer guidance to others. This presentation will be our first opportunity to communicate what we’ve been up to, and to share some thoughts that our journey together has afforded.
We argue that applying naturecultures in our practices is beneficial for people and places, and can support more effective conservation outcomes. Please join us to think further about these ideas.