‘The breath of the mountain is my heart’: indigenous cultural landscapes and the politics of heritage

Heritage practices in post-settler nations often overlook the colonial histories embedded within indigenous cultural landscapes, as demonstrated by Tongariro National Park's nomination to UNESCO World Heritage status. The study reveals that narratives emphasizing ecological integrity and conservation values reframe Māori relationships with the land as merely 'natural,' thereby silencing complex indigenous connections. Using a critical heritage studies framework, it examines historical, cultural, and legal contexts, arguing that decolonizing heritage requires acknowledging systemic power dynamics and exclusions in heritage practices.

Baird, M. F. (2013). ‘The breath of the mountain is my heart’: indigenous cultural landscapes and the politics of heritage. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 19(4), 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2012.663781