A new tool for preserving Indigenous cultural heritages
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) refers to community-based practices, traditions, and customs that are inherited and passed down through generations. In Stored in the Bones, Agnieszka Pawłowska-Mainville details her work with Anishinaabeg and Inninuwag harvesters, showcasing their cultural heritage and providing a new discourse for the promotion and transmission of Indigenous knowledge.
The book records the lived experiences of the akiwenziyag and kitayatisuk, “men of the land” in Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwe and Inninumowin/Cree, respectively. These men shared their dibaajimowinan and achimowinak (life stories)—from putting down tobacco to tending traplines—with Pawłowska-Mainville during her fifteen years of research in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. ICH recognition also played an important role in Pawłowska-Mainville's experiences with the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission regarding the impacts of hydro development and the Pimachiowin Aki UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination.
Stored in the Bones enriches discussions of treaty rights, land claims, and environmental and cultural policy. Presenting practical ways to safeguard ICH and an international framework meant to advance community interests in dealings with provincial or federal governments, the study offers a pathway for Indigenous peoples to document knowledge that is “stored in the bones.”
Authors
- Pages
- 224
- Published in
- Winnipeg, CA
- Rights
- Agnes Pawłowska-Mainville
Table of Contents
- Cover 1
- Contents 8
- List of Figures 10
- Glossary of Anishinaabemowin and Inninumowin Terms 14
- Introduction 22
- Chapter One: Living Heritage 54
- Chapter Two: Intangible Cultural Heritage 96
- Chapter Three: “The last one to know” 140
- Chapter Four: “Clean energy, they say” 186
- Chapter Five: “The land will stand for you” 218
- Conclusion 250
- Acknowledgements 257
- Appendix 1: Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory Card 262
- Appendix 2: Inventory Guidelines 265
- Appendix 3: Useful Resources 267
- Notes 268
- Bibliography 292
- Index 314