The 2014 Ngolog Mitmit: a Case Study Examining Public and Private Heritage in Yap State, FSM

Krause, Stefan (2019-10-25). "The 2014 Ngolog Mitmit: a Case Study Examining Public and Private Heritage in Yap State, FSM". Present Pasts. 9 (1): 2. doi:10.5334/pp.80. ISSN 1759-2941.

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Abstract: This article provides an ethnographic case study of heritage processes in action that were observed and recorded during fieldwork in 2013 and 2014 on the Main Islands of Yap State—the westernmost state of the Federated States of Micronesia. A description will be provided of a historic traditional gathering known as a mitmit which from the day it was decided upon activated the transmission of cultural heritage knowledge and practices throughout Yap’s Main Islands. By examining the mitmit, the event’s significance for Yapese stakeholders, and how the U.S. National Park Service was indirectly involved, several findings emerge. It is found that the planning, organization and performance of the mitmit assisted in preserving elements of Yapese cultural heritage that local stakeholders identified as most valuable and in need of safeguarding. The case study also supports the continuing utility of Chambers’ (2006) public and private heritage constructs, especially when evaluating heritage practices within indigenous contexts where the preservation of intangible cultural heritage is often a more critical concern. The analysis suggests that more attention should be devoted to identifying how public heritage interventions can activate private heritage practices, thereby mitigating the hegemonic effects of Smith’s (2004) authorized heritage discourse (AHD).

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MAG: 2981553088
CorpusID: 210451068
OpenAlex: W2981553088