Nominating and managing a World Heritage Site in the highlands of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Kuk Swamp in the Upper Wahgi valley of Papua New Guinea is a site of early and independent agricultural development. The site is the first to be nominated by the government of Papua New Guinea for inclusion on the World Heritage List. The nomination of the Kuk Early Agricultural Site, as an organically evolved cultural landscape, is centred on traditional land management practices of Kawelka (a Meldpa-speaking group) landholders. The framework, challenges and problems of nominating and managing Kuk as a World Heritage Site in contemporary Papua New Guinea are discussed.

Keywords:

• Kuk
• Papua New Guinea
• World Heritage
• traditional land management

Acknowledgements

The authors were all architects of the Kuk World Heritage nomination (DEC 2007) and would like to thank the Department of Environment and Conservation, government of Papua New Guinea, for permission to cite, and to base much of this article upon, that document. Thanks to Gabriel Cooney, Chris Gosden and Willem Willems for valuable comments on a draft of this article. The authors acknowledge the pioneering efforts of Jack Golson and Pam Swadling in seeking to get Kuk protected and recognized as a World Heritage Site. Over the years, many Papua New Guineans have been instrumental in the World Heritage nomination process, including Navu Kwapena and Wari Iamo (both DEC), Herman Mandui, Nick Araho, Simon Poraituk, Andrew Moutu and Seroi Eoe (all PNG National Museum and Art Gallery), Lawrence Kalinoe, Regina Kati, Joe Ketan, the late Fr. Lak, Jo Mangi, James Ruru, Leo Salas, Jacob Simet, Michael Wandil and Thomas Webster. Many thanks also to Salamat ‘Ali’ Tabbasum for his continued support, patience and perseverance in seeing the nomination process through after several false starts. Last, and most important, many thanks to the Kawelka at Kuk and especially Ru – the ‘father’ of the nomination process.