Time-space politics and heritagisation in Africa: understanding where to begin decolonisation

ABSTRACT

This paper reflects on how heritage knowledge is built around time-space discourses. It takes a Critical Heritage Studies (CHS) position to examine heritage knowledge systems through the lenses of Walter Mignolo’s decolonial praxis on ‘locus of enunciation’ and Tim Ingold’s exegesis on ‘dwelling perspectives’. Drawing from ethnographic evidence collected among the Igbo of Nigeria, the study engages Indigenous concepts and heritage ontologies in the context of time and space in heritage making in Africa. Secondly, it interrogates the evidence with the continuity that occurs in society through intergenerational knowledge systems that began with known ancestors. Thirdly, such sustainability mechanisms are examined using what I call ‘territorial communion’ – the ways in which those local knowledge systems are ‘printed’ on the landscape through human-nature ‘relational ontologies’, and how such pictured living holds heritage in a continuum. Finally, the paper contends that a good knowledge of intergenerational ‘dwelling perspectives’ from different loci of enunciation would begin the decoloniality of heritage in Africa.

KEYWORDS:

• Heritage
• time-space
• Igbo ontologies
• decoloniality
• Nigeria
• Africa

Acknowledgements

I very much appreciate those that participated in this research in the seven villages studied. Thanks to Professor D. U. Opata, Dr Chidi Ugwu, Kevin Amoke, and Alison Edwards for reading through the original draft. An earlier version of this paper was first presented at the International Conference for PhD Candidates in Humanities and Cultural Studies at the University of Wuppertal, Germany in September 2017. An improved version was later presented at the 4th Biannual Conference of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies held at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China on 1–6 September 2018. I appreciate those that participated in the panel where the paper was presented at both conferences for their useful feedback. I thank in a very special way the two anonymous reviewers whose useful comments gave new insights and strengthened the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Gilchrist Educational Trust; Overseas Research Scholarship (ORS) of the University of York; Tweedie Exploration Fellowship of the University of Edinburgh.

Notes on contributors

J. Kelechi Ugwuanyi

J. Kelechi Ugwuanyi teaches in the Department of Archaeology and Tourism, University of Nigeria. He recently completed a PhD on heritage studies (passed with no corrections) in the Department of Archaeology, University of York. His thesis explores the negotiation between the global heritage discourse and the existing beliefs and value systems in the context of the village arena (or ‘square’) among the Igbo of Nigeria. The work bridges the philosophical gap between authorised heritage institutions and Indigenous/local communities to encourage inclusion/sustainability in heritage management. Kelechi has a diploma in tourism and museum studies, as well as a BA and an MA (both cum laude) in archaeology and tourism from the University of Nigeria. Currently, he is the assistant editor of the Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies. His research interests focused mainly on critical heritage studies, museum, tourism, Indigenous knowledge systems, and contemporary archaeology.