A Busy Year for the Commodifications of Cultural Heritage Working Group

Published: 
Sep 23, 2014

By Marina La Salle

In early May 2013, the IPinCH Cultural Commodification, Indigenous Peoples, and Self-Determination Public Symposium and Workshop was held at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver.

The event was initiated by the Cultural Commodifications Working Group co-chair, Solen Roth, and the workshop included a group of 32 invited scholars, cultural practitioners, and community representatives.

During the workshop, participants brainstormed a series of projects and activities to help address questions relating to how cultural heritage can be protected, and understand the forms and conditions in which markets can be used to reinforce Indigenous peoples’ cultural, economic, and political autonomy. Emphasis was placed upon developing curriculum and other resources for public education concerning issues of appropriation and commodification.

In November 2013, I was hired as a Research Assistant for the Working Group to mobilize these aspirations into action and to manage the development of the various projects and initiatives that were decided on at the workshop.

The Working Group has since collected a number of syllabi from university professors teaching courses relating to cultural heritage, museums, art and law, which are now publicly available on the IPinCH website.

In June 2014, the Working Group published a series of nine viewing guides to accompany the nine videos of the 2013 public symposium lectures .Targeting college and undergraduate students, the guides include key terms, discussion questions, activities, and resources relating to the topics discussed by each presenter. These videos and viewing guides are all available on the IPinCH website for use by professors teaching on related subjects.

During that same month, the Working Group released the Appropriation and Commodification of Cultural Heritage: Ethical & IP Issues to Consider fact sheet, the third to be produced by IPinCH. Intended for a broad audience, the fact sheet provides accessible information about the nature of appropriation, the difference between appropriation and commodification, and the pitfalls of misappropriation or offensive appropriation.

A tremendous thank-you to all the Working Group participants who have contributed their time and insight to these projects, and to the Steering Committee for their careful review and feedback throughout the year. Go team IPinCH!

Photo: Participants at the 2013 Cultural Commodification, Indigenous Peoples, and Self-Determination Public Symposium and Workshop (courtesy: K. Bannister). 

Marina served as the Student Representative on the IPinCH Steering Committee from 2010-2011 and as Research Assistant for the Commodifications of Cultural Heritage Working Group in 2014. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Vancouver Island University and an IPinCH Associate.