Ecuadorian cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is one where the inheritance of a human group is constituted, which have their own identity, which are perceived by other people; That is, cultural heritage is as a product of human creativity, which is inherited, transmitted, modified and optimized from individual to individual and generation to generation.
The fact that cultural heritage is according to a social and cultural process of attribution of values, functions and meanings, implies that it does not constitute something given once and forever but, rather, it is the product of a social process permanent, complex and controversial, of construction of meanings and senses. Thus, protected objects and goods acquire the reason for being to the extent that they open to new senses and associate with a present culture that contextualizes them, recreates and interprets them dynamically.
Some historical monuments, archaeological remains or popular traditions have such value that they are considered as cultural heritage of humanity. This denomination exists officially since 1972, when an agreement was reached to grant this distinction.
It is for this reason, that through this essay in its first section a brief introduction will be announced, which is key to knowing in a general way that it deals with cultural heritage, and then in a second section to be able to associate it with culture of our country, focusing on the fact that the heritage consists in identify These assets help to transmit and keep the culture alive, have the possibility of visiting them or studying them allows them to have a direct experience of them. And in your last section we will find the proper conclusions alluding to the subject.
Once I define heritage, it is important to answer the question, what is culture?, Thus, culture is the result of the human condition, where creativity is shown, which can be simple or complex, allowing to deal with situations that occur in the present and these results are revealed in the future. (Hernández, 2012) that is, that culture is made up of a series of material and non -material objects, behavior guidelines and beliefs that are not immediately exhausted, but are present over time overcoming limitations and maintain Those that exist and will exist in the future. For its part, culture is not something that has been invented, if not forged over time and is always changing according to the new conditions of people’s life.
It is also important to point out that one of the duties of the State is to preserve and maintain the identity to which it is officially supporting and respecting it by incorporating it as part of the educational process. Heritage is based on the past, but the actions and attitudes of the present, individual and governmental, are very important for their subsistence and projection to the future. The sense of temporality is not only present in the heritage itself but in the vision of people and the public sector.
As stated in the (Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, 2008), in article 379, it contemplates as part of our heritage to:
- Languages, forms of expression, oral tradition, various manifestations and cultural creations, including those of ritual, festive and productive nature.
- Urban buildings, spaces and ensemble.
- The documents, objects, collections, archives, libraries and museums that have historical, artistic, archaeological, ethnographic or paleontological value.
- Artistic, scientific and technological creations.
According to UNESCO, cultural goods must have the following characteristics to be on the World Heritage List:
- Represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.
- Exhibit an important exchange of human values within a space of time or a certain cultural area.
- Be the only exceptional testimony of a cultural tradition or civilization that is alive or that has disappeared.
- Be an excellent example of a traditional human settlement or the use of land that is representative of a culture or cultures, especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.
- Be directly associated with living events or traditions; With ideas or beliefs, with artistic and literary works of exceptional universal importance.
Natural Heritage & Cultural Heritage
Natural heritage is the set of natural elements with exceptional value from the point of view of science, conservation and natural beauty; It is the habitat of animal and plant species source of life and resources for humanity. Thus, in order to consider an element of nature as a natural heritage, it must be a representative example of great stages of earth history. While cultural heritage consists of a set of goods and demonstrations that arose from the creativity of the human being and that are configured as elements of distinction between social groups, instilling a feeling of belonging and continuity.
Ecuador, has some recognized places as World Heritage of Humanity.
- The Inca road, a master network of road communication that extended in South America, today covers Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, and is the oldest road network in America: the entire Empire (Tahuantinsuyo) was longitudinally traveled , which allowed to control along the Andes mountain range. The main road has about 6.000 km from south to north.
- Quito, the capital, is declared by UNESCO Heritage since November 1978, by its history and architecture. Its historic center is the largest in America.
- Galapagos, a paradise of humanity, who entered the list in 1978 and six years declared the Biosphere Reserve.
- Cuenca, second Ecuadorian city on the list, in December 1999, the declaration for the Athens of Ecuador arrived, for its buildings, complemented with the natural environment that surrounds it.
- Sangay National Park was declared 1983. It is made up of 518.000 hectares, with an ecosystem that shows snowy and moors. There are also species such as the glasses and the Andean condor.
- The Zápara language: ‘They are the latest representatives of an ethnolinguistic group that included many other populations before the Spanish conquest,’ details the National Institute of Cultural Heritage.
- The most recent icon of humanity’s heritage is the traditional fabric of the Ecuadorian toquilla straw hat, also known as Panama Hat, which was declared on December 5, 2012. The fabric of a toquilla straw hat can last between one day and eight months, depending on its quality and fineness (Minister of Heritage of Ecuador, 2012)
According to everything detailed above, the following can be concluded:
Cultural heritage can be material and immaterial, in which culture and identity stands out, which is the singular and individualizes cultures in the current globalized world. Within the artisanal heritage, the fabric of toquilla straw hats is addressed, craft that was declared as an intangible heritage by UNESCO in December 2012, and which is considered as the most important crafts in Ecuador and the most representative of the province of Manabí, Azuay and Cañar.
Culture is all human activity, we are born and develop in a culture created by those who preceded us, with the ability to make new and large changes, therefore this behavior occurs at the individual level, which has made multiple cultures arise different, each of them composed of a series of ordered and organized features
Heritage is in itself, a property of all, where the fundamental goal of history is to understand the past, the ways of life and visions that were had in the past. Thus, cultural heritage is intimately linked to the past as an inheritance, but it is, through memory, settled in the present and an indisputable reference for the future; and strengthens identity.
Bibliography
- Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador. (2008). Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador. Obtained from https: // www.OAS.org/legal/pdfs/messicic4_ecut.PDF
- González, c. M. (2014). Cutural heritage. TRUE UNIVERSITY, 64. Obtained from https: // www.Uazuay.Edu.EC/Libraries/Publications/UV-64.PDF
- Hernández, h. F. (2012). Cultural Heritage: Memory.
- Patrimony Coordinating Ministry. (2012). Introduction to Cultural Heritage. Obtained from http: // www.Amevirtual.Gob.EC/WP-CONTENTE/UPLOADS/2017/04/Book-Introduction-Al-Patrimonio-Cultural.COMPRESS-GOVPDF-COMPRESSED.PDF
- Minister of Heritage of Ecuador. (2012). Introduction to Cultural Heritage Management in Cities of Ecuador. Obtained from https: // issuu.com/artpublications/docs/introduction_gestion_patrimonio
- UNESCO. (2011). Cultural heritage of Humanity. Obtained from https: // concept.of/heritage-cultural/
Leave feedback