Materials
skills
ICH Materials 411
Publications(Article)
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Beldemchi Exhibited: From the Making of Women’s Traditional Clothing into a Field of Female CreativityAn exhibition of beldemchi was launched at the Gapar Aitiev Fine Arts Museum in Bishkek on 7 June 2017. The exhibition is still ongoing through the partnership of the Kiyiz Duino Foundation and the Gapar Aitiev Fine Arts Museum, an institution named after one of the first Soviet Kyrgyz artists who became a national artist of the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954. The exhibition displays more than forty items collected from state museums and private collections. It represents all regions of the country and various embroidery styles and techniques. The event is a sign of increasing interest in beldemchi in Kyrgyz society; renowned designers are already coming up with unique beldemchi design.\n\nOne of the Kyrgyz ICH elements, beldemchi is a traditional women’s skirt worn over a dress, gown, and sometimes thin coat. Conventionally, women wear their first beldemchi after a severe stress, e.g. first labor or situations demanding warmth. When worn as postpartum clothing, beldemchi helps women correcting their posture. It also gives physical support. Historically, as Kyrgyz people led a nomadic lifestyle in inland continental climate conditions during pre-Soviet times until 1917, beldemchi was an essential part of Kyrgyz women’s traditional apparel.\n\nBeldemchi may be worn daily and in holidays or festive events. It is made up of velvet and silk adorned with embroidery. The embroidery could cover either the whole skirt or its edges. Viewed as a protective amulet against evil eye, jinxes, and other unpleasant troubles, it is also a determinant of a woman’s age, social status, region, and her artistic skills based on the composition, style, and quality of the embroidery since every woman is supposed to know how to make a beldemchi and its embroidery. The main base of beldemchi is a double-leaved swing skirt with wide and thick belt. Beldemchi has several regional differences. In the north where the winter season is cold and long, it is mainly a wraparound flared skirt from warm fabric with a thick band over the belt. In the south, beldemchi is a buttoned front open cut skirt.\n\nThe presentation of beldemchi at the exhibition displays how the making of traditional clothing for women has gradually turned into a field of rich female creativity. Notwithstanding, beldemchi has started to disappear from Kyrgyz everyday life, which may have been caused by the changing views and lifestyle. During the Soviet modernism in the 1960s, wearing beldemchi was a sign of backwardness and provincialism. Soon in the 1970s, it fell into disuse. However, elderly women in rural areas have kept wearing beldemchi until now.\n\nPhoto : Women wearing Beldemchi © Kyiz Duino FundYear2017NationKyrgyzstan
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Jultagi (Tightrope walking), the Performing Arts of Communication and HarmonyIn Korean traditional society, Jultagi (tightrope walking) was practiced as part of entertainers’ performances, where large banquets were held in administrative halls or noble houses on holidays. Jultagi, which was considered as the essence of Madangnori (traditional Korean outdoor performances), is a traditional Korean performing art that refers to “the players’ performance of comedy, musical storytelling with physical expressions on the bare rope in the air.”\n\nRecords of Jultagi dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). According to the records, Jultagi has been called by various names, such as Dapsakhee, Dapsak, Jusak, Bosak, Saksangjae, Juseung, and Yiseung, which commonly means “performing on a rope.”\n\nThe Jultagi today can be classified into two, the “Gwangdae Jultagi” and “Tteun-gwangdae Jultagi” based on the characteristics of the performers. The Gwangdae Jultagi was performed by Daeryeong Gwangdae, who were affiliated in the central or local government offices, while the Tteun-gwangdae Jultagi, which is also called “Eoreum Jultagi,” was performed by traveling performing troupes. The former one was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 58 in 1976, and has been transmitted ever since, while the latter one is transmitted as one of several performances of Namsadang Nori, designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 3 in Korea.\n\nWhen it comes to tightrope walking, it’s easy to think of only the acrobat performing on the tightrope. However, for a proper tightrope performance, not only the acrobatic performer, but also the clown who stays on the ground and chats with the performer on the rope, and the musical performers who plays janggu (double-headed drum), piri(pipe), and haegeum(string instrument) and lead the lively atmosphere are essential. Only when all the players mingle with the crowd, Jultagi, the Korean performing art of communication and harmony, is completed.\n\nThe running time of the tightrope performance continues throughout the afternoon. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully organize the composition with acrobatics, chats, and music keep the audience entertained. Starting with the “Julgosa,” a ritual ceremony for the safety of the performance, Jultagi shows a variety of tightrope walking skills, from simple acrobatics to difficult tricks, inducing dramatic tension among spectators. Afterwards, through “Jung Nori” and “Walja Nori,” the dramatic tension of the audience is relaxed and entertained. Subsequently, the audience’s dramatic tension is once again induced through several acrobatics, and then the tension is relieved through the final “Salpan” ground acrobatics performance. Although there may be some changes depending on the performer or situation, Jultagi performances are generally conducted based on this order.\n\nThe traditional Korean tightrope walking is differentiated from other tightrope acrobats in that it does not only focus on the acrobatics, but also leads the playful atmosphere harmonized with songs and storytelling. Korea’s Jultagi, which has these distinctive characteristics, is unique and valuable in that both the performer and the audience communicate and harmonize together in a pleasant atmosphere in pursuit of inner freedom.\n\nToday, the reputation of Jultagi performances, which were as popular as Pansori (narrative songs) in the past, is losing its light in modern times. Occasionally, it can be found at local cultural festivals, but it is difficult to maintain its reputation enough to be labeled as a vulnerably transmitted element. Active endeavors and public attention are needed at the national level so that Jultagi, which has played a role in strengthening Korea’s identity since the past, can be transmitted to future generations. Above all, since the value of an ICH element is elevated when safeguarded and practiced, so efforts should be made to enhance the reputation of Jultagi through various performances considering the transmission environment of today. I conclude this article in anticipation of the day when Jultagi, which can give people a sense of freedom from the COVID-19, will be able to freely cross the sky amid the crowds’ cheers.\n\nphoto : Jultagi of Namsadang Noli in 2008. © Flicker account : Republic of Korea, Copyright information link : https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/Year2022NationSouth Korea
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ICH as a Metaphysical Product: The Case of Wualai Silversmith Village in ThailandWualai Silversmith Village is located along Wua Lai Road, Hai Ya, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The village is well-known for handmade silver products. People in the village have been making silver goods for a hundred years, after they moved from Bagan (an old city in Myanmar). After farming, most of the villagers spend their free time as silversmiths. Family members are involved in creating silver products for trade and their daily life. Almost every household is also a workplace for creating silver goods.\n\nNecklaces, bracelets, paddles, and trays are some of the most common products of the Wualai Silversmith Village. However, the silver bowl or salung is most representative of their identity. In the past, these silver products were used to represent family wealth, especially for a grand occasions. With unique and sophisticated patterns and styles of the villagers’ silver products, for example, Kratin flowers, pineapples, twelve zodiac signs, Ramayana figures, and animal patterns, Wualai silver products became famous.\n\nIn May 2018, I went to the village to observe the process of making handmade silver bowls and interview a number of silversmiths. The silversmiths explained that there are many steps in making a silver bowl, and it takes days or weeks to finish one. The most difficult stages are forging and carving. A few days are commonly needed to forge a silver bowl by hitting silver coins or bars. Those responsible for forging should be demonstrably strong, patient, and resilient against hot temperatures.\n\nOn the other hand, there are two kinds of carving expertise. One in creating the patterns; the other is in detailing the bowl to be seen as three-dimensional. Not everyone easily learns and practices these skills. This impracticality is why it is difficult to continue the practice of creating silver products in Wualai. In addition, the cost of materials has also caused a decrease in practitioners and successors.\n\nThe local government is now concerned about safeguarding this intangible cultural heritage element. To act upon the problem, they created a silver product safeguarding network, which includes schools, temples, and other relevant institutions. Local knowledge on making silver products has recently been introduced as a part of academic curriculum. Relevant pedagogical programs are offered in schools, temples, and non-formal educational centers. The Ministry of Culture of Thailand also promotes the safeguarding of silverware as a metaphysical product or something priceless and invaluable. This is specifically helpful to the Wualai walking street, a space built by the villagers to commercialize their products. The Wualai walking street is visible every Saturday, beginning in the late afternoon and ending before midnight.\n\nPhoto 1 : Forging a silver bowl in Wualai Village, Thailand © Ratchda Sukka\nPhoto 2 : Firing up silver molds in Wualai Village, Thailand © Ratchada SukkaYear2018NationThailand
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The Tradition of Acheik Weaving in MyanmarIn Myanmar, people wear traditional clothes, prominently acheik longyi (skirt) in events such as weddings, novitiation ceremonies, and national gatherings. When you find a lady wearing acheik longyi abroad, she is certainly from Myanmar. Myanmar people regard acheik textiles an important aspect of the identity of the people of Myanmar, representing tradition and practice of a thriving culture.\n\nLuntaya acheik is an indispensable item that projects the social status of women. The term lun means shuttle and taya means a hundred. Acheik, on the other hand, means connect, and it is also the term for tapestry weaving methods. So luntaya achiek is a kind of woven cloth with threads crossing under and over each other on plain textile using many shuttles. Acheik textiles have flourished since the nineteenth century CE. During the ancient period, achiek was used for royal costumes; ordinary people were not allowed to wear achiek. The highest ranking officials, royal services, and merchants could only wear achiek if the king rewarded them. Until now, achiek workshops are mainly based in Amarapura, Sagaing, and Mandalay in upper Myanmar.\n\nFor the weaving process, three of four raw silk threads are twisted tightly with the aid of a machine for tautness and smoothness. After that, silk-woven faces are removed by washing in boiling nut soap liquid. This step helps the fabric become softer than ordinary silk thread. While boiling the silk, colors can be added to dye the thread. And then, the dyed threads are washed with water and placed under the sun to dry. For weaving, the silk threads are kneaded onto bobbins, and then the bobbins are attached to the loom; the weavers will then weave the desired achiek patterns. Between one hundred and three hundred small bobbins are used to weave intricate and complex acheik designs. Traditional acheik have a lot of names according to the designs, depending on the color usage and the number of small bobbins. There are fifty-two kinds of classic achiek designs, and they are expensive as it takes many days of manual labor to produce achiek textiles.\n\nNowadays, cotton and silk are mixed and Achiek designs are modified to produce cheaper versions by weaving machine. Though handmade achiek textiles are expensive, Myanmar ladies proudly wear this classic design textile pattern for both special social and religious occasions. Since Myanmar people have worn acheik designs during special events and ceremonies since ancient times until today, Myanmar acheik continues to be a living heritage. The weaving practitioners relentlessly transmit their knowledge and skills to the young generation.\n\nPhoto 1 : Acheik fabrics CCBYSA3.0 Wagaung/Wikimedia\nPhoto 2 : Weaving acheik,/em> with small shuttles ⓒ La pyae\nPhoto 3 : Acheik weavers ⓒ La pyae\nPhoto 4 : Wearing acheik in a ceremony ⓒTheint kanmaYear2018NationMyanmar
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Challenges Facing Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Seen from a Case Study of Bach HoI arrived in Hue City by the Perfume River (Sông Hương) on a rainy afternoon in September 2019 to spend about a month gathering materials and data related to the preservation of the Hue Imperial Complex. One of my friends was waiting for me at a local bar together with his Bach Ho (White Tiger) master, a man in his sixties wearing a black martial arts shirt. After greeting one another, we began our conversation by taking about Hue’s recent conservation projects and local landscapes, before my friend’s master touched upon the history and the heyday of Bach Ho martial arts (the 1960s to the early 2000s). Indeed, Vietnamese people have created their own martial arts to boost their health and protect their homeland against aggressive and more powerful foreign invaders for a few thousand years. As Van Dung highlight: “martial arts contributed glorious pages to the history, appeared as a proof for resolute spirit, inexhaustible struggle, fearless of death, difficulty or danger and as a creative mind of people” (2017, p. 27). The Vietnamese philosophy of martial arts is “the Truth—the Goodness—the Beauty”; it attempts to advance Vietnamese culture and characters by forging a sturdy body, enduring health, and a strong spirit that provides support in dealing with difficulties and hardship (Van Dung ., 2017, p. 28). Viet Nam has some of its own styles of martial arts, but due to being located at a crossroads of civilizations, various martial arts from China, Korea, and Japan have been brought into and mixed with native ones, including kung fu, karate, judo, aikido, and taekwondo (Van Dung , 2016, p. 69). With the tremendous growth of this industry, martial arts have become an integral part of sports and physical activity culture, conveying not only lifestyles but also educational value and entertainment (Ko ., 2010, p. 3).\nHue became one of the biggest centers of martial arts in Viet Nam because it was home to the Nguyen dynasty, the final feudal society of Viet Nam (1802–45). The Nguyen dynasty fought against local rivals and also stood against Western colonialism, particularly the French invasion (Odell and Castillo, 2008, p. 82). Therefore, the practice of martial arts was very much encouraged and was stimulated through the organization of a number of nationwide martial arts competitions to select the best talents in the country (Le, 2020). Several temples were constructed, at which the masters’ skills and teaching were honored by the carving of their names on the stone columns.\nThe Hue Association of Traditional Martial Arts confirms that there are around 15 types of martial art within Hue, including Viet Vo dao, Bach Ho, Nga My, Thien Muc Son, Thieu Bao, Nam Son, Hau Quyen dao, Thieu Lam Dai Tam, and Kinh Van An. Other Vietnamese martial arts had their origins elsewhere, as noted, in countries such as China, Japan, and Korea, but Bach Ho (a genuine Vietnamese martial art) remained one of the most prevalent types of martial art in Hue City. Unfortunately, the stature of Bach Ho is fading significantly in comparison with other martial arts. This study thus aims to explore the relevance of Bach Ho in contemporary contexts and the primary impediments to its transmission. It will then propose recommendations for safeguarding and promoting Bach Ho as intangible cultural heritage for future generations. These are the primary objectives behind the selection of Bach Ho as our research topic.\nTo conduct our study, we worked closely with representatives from the Association of Traditional Martial Arts of Thua Thien Hue and different groups from the martial arts. InYear2020NationSouth Korea
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Traditional Pottery Makers of Kathmandu ValleyIn many traditional ceremonies and rituals, the use of baked clay pots and objects in Nepal is common. Even for everyday uses, these potteries include those for cooling water, cooking, flowers, curd, and many more. Until a few decades back, these potteries were more commonly used in everyday life. Pots for storing water and grains, for steaming, for carrying water, and even for washing clothes were made of various potteries. Today, many of these traditional potteries have been replaced by durable modern materials, such as plastics.\n\nBecause of the extensive use of the pottery in daily life, there used to be quarters in the cities and villages within Kathmandu Valley dedicated to pottery making. Now there are only a few places within the valley that have continued to make pottery using ancient techniques. These places are now famous due to the influx of tourists.\n\nOne of the most famous quarters for pottery in the valley is pottery square in Bhaktapur that is known to locals as Kumha Twa. Kumha are pottery makers, and twa is the quarters. Walking through this quarter we can see people making shapes out of clay on pottery wheels. Some giving finishing touches while some are busy drying pottery goods in the sun. This quarter also has communal kiln for baking. This quarter seem like an open-air museum for the pottery making, which has been continued for several generations.\n\nMr. Krishna Shyam Prajapati, 44 years old, is one of the pottery makers of the square. He has worked in this profession since the age of 13 or 14. He learned pottery-making skills from his father and his father learned from his father. This continuity has been going on for generations. According to Mr. Prajapati in the old days, they used to make pottery hand-operated wheels that had to be with the help of pole. Now, most pottery makers use electric motor wheels.\n\nThe pottery is made from the black clay, which is abundant in the valley. The clay from the field is smashed and smoothed with the help of feet. When it is smooth enough, it is ready for making pots and other things. Now machines have taken over much of the manual work. After the pottery is shaped, it is sundried and later baked in a kiln. In old days, hay was used to make fire, but now the kilns are fueled with wood. These kilns are communal, people take turns baking their pottery.\n\nWith the arrival of tourism, pottery makers shifted from the traditional pottery to products targeting tourists. The souvenirs like bells, candle stands, miniature animals, and many wares are commonplace. But with the pandemic, the lack of tourist has hampered the pottery business, so pottery makers like Mr. Prajapati have shifted back to traditional products. He has been sustaining his business in the pandemic by making piggy banks commonly known as khutruke.\n\nThe pottery-making business has been directly and indirectly affected by modernization. Consumers prefer to use plastic products instead of clay ones due to durability and economic circumstances. Also the massive growth in the city is creating difficulty for the pottery makers to get the required clay.\n\nThough tourism has given a boost in business and pottery square has contributed to tourism in the city, there is a need to recognize and value the traditional profession by state and contribute in the future sustainability.\n\nPhotos 1~4 : Pottery souvenirs displayed in shops. © Monalisa MaharjanYear2021NationNepal
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Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Cook Islands"The Cook Islands are fifteen islands scattered over an area of 2 million square kilometres of ocean. Situated near the centre of Eastern Polynesia, the islands lie within close proximity of the French Polynesia archipelago to the east and the Samoa islands to the west. \nIn 1965 the Cook Islands gained a status of internal self-governing and the establishment of the Legislative Assembly, then Parliament thereon after…..and so began the Cook Islands journey into shaping itself as a nation. \nIn the 1970s, the government realised the importance of oral history and especially the traditional knowledge possessed by the elders of the nation. This led to the establishment of the Tumu Korero division to collect, record, and document oral histories. These are currently housed in the National Archives, and George Baniani, the Manager of the National Archives, was a member of the team that implemented this project. The intention of the government was to have these oral histories published and fed into the education system as resources for our children. \nIn 1992, the Cook Islands hosted the Festival of Pacific Arts and a fantastic cultural complex was erected to house the Ministry of Cultural Development, but more importantly, the National Auditorium to showcase the vibrant performing arts of the Cook Islands. This building itself has fostered the development of the performing arts and has ensured the rapid growth and enormous interest in the arts, especially from the younger generation of Cook Islanders. \nThe theme of the Festival of Arts was traditional navigation, and it highlighted the knowledge and skills our ancestors held in overcoming this great expanse of ocean. They had the knowledge of the stars, wave patterns, and migratory birds to guide them from island to island. They settled and populated islands from as far as Palau of the Micronesian islands to Rapanui in the far east of Polynesia, and this was accomplished a thousand years before Columbus crossed the Atlantic. "Year2012NationSouth Korea
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Efficacy and Shortcomings of Regulatory Framework for Safeguarding Traditional Craft Practices: Case Studies from West Bengal, IndiaBourgeois notions of aesthetics have suc- cessfully identified the idea of culture as a “superior reality” (Prakash, 2019). The label of superiority inherently separates culture from acts of labor. As a result, popular perceptions mainly interpret art and culture and related activities as leisurely pursuits. It is precisely because of this that the role of culture has often been popularly undermined in terms of achieving holistic development. However, since around 2010, insightful evidence-based works have highlighted the importance culture plays in bringing grassroots empowerment (UNESCO, 2010). In spite of this progress, culture has not been recognized as an independent Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). We can trace the reasons for such non-recognition to the narrow definitions that different disciplines ascribe to culture. For a variety of reasons, economists have avoided getting too closely involved with the concept of culture and its relationship with economic development. There is a general acceptance that culture must have a role in guiding a population along a particular path, but, as Landes (1998) points out, a discomfort with what can be construed as implied criticism of a particular culture has discouraged broader public discourse. Economists have often narrowly defined culture as “customary beliefs and values that ethnic, religious, and social groups transmit fairly unchanged from generation to generation” (Guiso et al., 2006). The problem with this definition rests in its inherent conceptualization of culture as a static attribute, not reflective of the changes that happen over time. If we view culture from such an angle, we will fail to capture its dynamicity. Culture, in my opinion, has the power to transform birth (somewhat without purpose) to life (necessarily meaningful and purpose-driven). Murdock (1965) rightly conceptualizes culture as comprising habits, skills, and expertise shared by members of society. It is the process of learning, not of heredity. This definition implies that culture is an ascriptive trait and not an achieved one, which is not essentially present but needs to be nurtured in order to safeguard cultural heritage.Year2023NationIndia
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Local Diffusion of Xinyi/ Xingyiquan in Shanxi Province, China: A Living Heritage Shaped by Ancient Merchant CultureThe traditional martial art concerned here is divided into two currents belonging to the same founding lineage: 心意拳 (lit. Intention Fist boxing) and xingyiquan形意拳(lit. Form and Intention Fist). It saw significant development in northern China, especially in Shanxi Province, during the middle of the 18th century, and in Hebei Province at the beginning of the 19th century. Today, both styles are practiced well beyond China and are presented in various traditional or sporting forms. The traditional practice is composed of ritual initiations, alchemical, curative, and psychophysics exercises closely linked to the ancient Chinese concepts of cosmological thought and folk religions. The combat techniques (bare hands and traditional weapons) embody popular warlike traditions hypothetically attributed to the handling of a military spear dating back to the 12th century in Henan Province.\nWhat is historically certain, however, is that this art was deeply influenced by the merchant culture of Shanxi Province from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century (Liu and Qiao, 2014). Thanks to migratory movement along ancient Eurasian trade routes in late imperial China, it has progressively become an inherent part of the local knowledge of trade caravan organizations called 鏢局. The mutual influences between martial art and merchant culture have brought about the emergence of new social category, 鏢师. They shaped local knowledge that comes in a variety of forms and contextual applications: communicative competence and jargon for cooperation (Chircop-Reyes, forthcoming), trade and veterinary sciences, handcrafts, visual capacity, hearing ability, olfactory sensitivity, and defensive skills.Year2020NationSouth Korea
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Traditional Samoan faletele to be built in JapanTraditional builders from Samoa are in Japan on a very special mission: to build a faletele, a traditional Samoan house that is circular with one or more central posts. Master Builder Lesā Laufale, who started learning his craft some 30 years ago, leads the crew.\n\nThe Little World Museum of Man, where the faletele will be built, is near the city of Inuyama in Aichi prefecture, southwest of Tokyo. It is an open-air museum celebrating cultures and architecture, with 32 traditional houses from 23 countries and regions represented. Founded in 1983, the museum arranged for 12 builders from the village of Sa’anapu, where the current crew also comes from, to build four Samoan houses over 30 years ago.\n\nThe faletele will be built using traditional techniques and materials. This means using ’afa, a versatile and strong coconut fiber sennit used for lashing the structure together. Over 14,000 meters of the handmade cord is needed, work taking many months to complete. The making of sennit during village council meetings is now rarely practiced. Aiming to rekindle interest in the declining craft and with support from the U.S. government, project manager Galumalemana Steven Percival produced a documentary film and museum exhibit on Samoan sennit in 2013. A stone-floored and sennit-lashed faletele was also built at the Tiapapata Art Centre.\n\nHouse construction is replete with esoteric knowledge, but Lesā explains that there are no schools in Samoa where one can learn the required skills. He studied under Mulitalo Kirifi, a well-known builder from his village.\n\n“I observed Mulitalo working and whenever he asked me to do something and I made a mistake, he would tell me to start over.”\n\nThe passing down of knowledge from a master builder, matua o faiva, to an apprentice is common across cultures but when particular techniques are no longer used or are modified, esthetics can be compromised. Not only is the structure less appealing, but the language is also diminished. The natural environment is also affected by the decline. Building materials come from the forest: various palms and trees and a long coconut known as niu’afa, a species believed to yield the longest coconut in the world.\n\nIn traditional society, the natural environment was protected by tapu, a set of laws forbidding actions that would adversely impact the sustainable supply of resources. Ask a sennit maker about the elongated coconut and he will tell you about the tapu: one is not allowed to burn leaves or other parts that fall to the ground; these must be buried or thrown in the sea. Ignoring tapu, it is believed, leads to a gradual shortening of the husk. A plant that seems to have disappeared completely from the environment is the wild sugarcane known as tolofualau, named after its broad and supple leaf that was preferred for thatching.\n\nLesā remembers seeing beautiful houses thickly thatched with the leaf. “We now use the courser leaf of the sago palm niu o Rotuma because when we stopped protecting the wild sugarcane, pigs had a feast,” he says. But the environmental story is not all bad. There are invasive species now used in house construction such as the togo vao, a type of mangrove tree that grows no thicker than a finger but is tough and flexible, a perfect combination for the many hundreds of aso (listels) used to tie thatching. \n\nThe Japan faletele provides a unique opportunity for the crew to deepen and apply their knowledge. It is a place of learning for an important piece of intangible cultural heritage that will help assure a future for traditional house building in Samoa.\n\nPhoto 1 : The roof structure of the faletele at the Tiapapata Art Centre. No nails have been used in this construction ⓒ Galumalemana Steven Percival\nPhoto 2 : In Japan, Master Builder Lesā Laufale (front right), stands next to Little World Museum of Man Curator Takao Miyazato. ⓒ Galumalemana Steven PercivalYear2019NationJapan
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The Kyrgyz Shyrdagy FestivalThe Kyrgyz Shyrdagy Festival was inaugurally organized in 2010 by felt carpets producers in Kyrgyzstan, after UNESCO inscribed the traditional Kyrgyz felt carpets ala-kiyiz and shyrdak into the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.\n\nThe festival is held every year in June in the mountainous Naryn region, famous for its felt carpets. The festival is managed by the Craft Council of Kyrgyzstan under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Information and Tourism of Kyrgyz Republic with the support of the regional administration and in partnership with the local crafts communities, NGOs, international agencies, and private businesses.\n\nThe goals of the festival are to attract social attention to the necessity of safeguarding the art of traditional Kyrgyz felt carpets, to develop the local market of the felt carpets, and to develop event/cultural tourism, especially in remote mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan.\n\nThe art of making felt carpets among Kyrgyz has ancient historical roots dating back to the first century BCE. Felt carpets are an important decorative component in the yurt, the traditional nomadic dwelling of Kyrgyz people, which is used by local residents in everyday life.\n\nThe process of making felt carpets is a socializing, unifying factor. It involves all family members and often relatives and neighbors. During the joint work, knowledge and skills are interactively transmitted by the older generation to young people.\n\nIn the past, felt carpets were not intended for sale; they were passed down from generation to generation, playing the sacred role in the family as an ancestral memory of the mother. Therefore, the carpet ornamentation was marked individually by the woman-creator—an imagery of the benevolence or the blessing of the mother to her descendants.\n\nShyrdak felt carpet today is a popular product on the local tourist market and international craft market, providing a significant income for rural women. Being exported to western countries, shyrdak carpets are highly appreciated as handmade eco-friendly products with unique ornamentation.\n\nWith about three hundred crafts artisans and participants, the Kyrgyz Shyrdagy Festival has become a national holiday, recognizing the Kyrgyz people’s cultural values. Residents of neighboring villages go to the festival, dressed in traditional festive clothes. At the festival, attention is given to master classes of the carriers of knowledge of ancient felt-making methods and contests are held for felt carpet producers to better carpet preservation.\n\nIn the past festivals, seventy craftspeople were awarded with diplomas and monetary prizes from state institutions and private foundations. Twenty-five awarded shyrdaks were gifted by organizers to five leading museums in Kyrgyzstan. In 2018, within the framework of the festival, it is planned to hold an international conference on preserving traditional crafts with the participation of the National Commission for UNESCO, museum representatives, and tourism and craft organizations.\n\nThe Kyrgyz Shyrdagy Festival is currently a meeting point for artisans, traders, representatives of travel companies, scientists, and aficionados of felt carpets from Kyrgyzstan and other countries. It promotes the development of the craft market in Kyrgyzstan and other regions, consequently improving the living standards and social status of artisans. The festival also demonstrates the inseparability of cultural ties between generations, stimulating young people to study, preserve, and develop traditional crafts and drawing the attention to preserving Kyrgyz ICH.\n\nPhoto : Shyrdagy festival photo © Photographer Urmat Osmoev CACSARC-kgYear2018NationKyrgyzstan
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A new project to assist the legal sector in Land Disputes"1. Presentation of project proposals: \nLand disputes and the majority of civil cases before Vanuatu courts are partly due to development and the economic strategies that are currently being pursued from all directions. Land is Ni-Vanuatu’s life and identity. Ownership of land is closely connected with culture and is very diverse in Vanuatu. Land cases take longer than expected before decisions are reached and made. \nThis could be in the form of knowledge with the elders in villages, or knowledge that is communicated in dialects or through rituals, songs, drawings, and so many more. Expert witnesses that are knowledgeable in customs and traditions are requested to testify in court (through sworn statements); however, in some unfortunate cases, the expert witnesses dies with the knowledge that they have without passing it on to others in the clan or their communities. \nUnless documented, this knowledge will fade away and be lost altogether. I strongly feel that an information data system will assist legally and culturally to preserve these traditions, customs, and knowledge. \n2. Link between law and culture\nUNESCO’s Definition of ICH is “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions; performing arts; social practices; rituals; festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts are key components of what we are trying to protect.”\nLand ownership is governed by custom and culture, and it our view of land is encompassed in the saying, “My life, my land.” Land is our identity as we are known by the world around us. Land is owned by families, clans, and tribes; and with this common inheritance, we share cultural expressions that have been passed from one generation to another. These expressions have evolved in response to their environments and have contributed to giving us a sense of identity and continuity as is being promoted by UNESCO. That wealth of knowledge must be passed on to assist with settling land disputes and to keep the peace within families. It is very "Year2012NationSouth Korea