International Cultural Heritage Law and World Heritage Listing: A Vehicle for “White Control of Indigenous Heritage”?

The current international cultural heritage protection framework, particularly the World Heritage List, fails to adequately protect Indigenous heritage due to its bureaucratized and European colonial State-centric perspective. An analysis of two dual-listed sites—Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Tongariro National Park—reveals that this approach is incompatible with Indigenous understandings of cultural heritage and inconsistent with international human rights standards. The study highlights the need for a paradigm shift to ensure meaningful protection of Indigenous heritage, addressing its tangible and intangible aspects while respecting Indigenous perspectives.

(Ed.). (2017). International Cultural Heritage Law and World Heritage Listing: A Vehicle for “White Control of Indigenous Heritage”? Santander Art and Culture Law Review, (2). https://doi.org/10.4467/2450050xsnr.17.032.8433