Culture · heritage
Cultural protection is not a festival calendar
Protection is about people, language, practice and the right to decide how culture is represented.
A festival is visible; the work that keeps a language, craft or ceremony alive often is not. Ask who holds knowledge, who is paid and who can say no.
Living practice
Heritage is made by people now
Do not freeze a living practice into a museum object. Record who teaches, adapts and transmits it.
Reference: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Representation
The most photogenic story is not always the most important
Give the community’s own description priority and never use an image to imply a claim the source did not make.
Language
Translation can carry a political choice
Keep original terms where authority or meaning matters; explain the translation and check it with an authorised speaker.
Reference: The Pacific Community (SPC)
Questions visitors ask
Does listing protect a tradition automatically?
No. Living protection still depends on community control, practice and local policy.
Why keep original words?
Translation can hide distinctions in authority, kinship or meaning.
Revised September 2026. This brief describes its evidence and limits; local authorities and first-party sources outrank a summary.