The Role of Local Communities in the Discourse of Controversial Heritage of Norway and Estonia

The current paper analyses the paradigm shifts in the discourse of heritage sites with tragic personal stories, memories, and remains, emphasising local communities' role in reframing controversial heritage in Norway and Estonia. Although these stories are from different cultures and places, they all spin around the same - how do we deal with the most delicate strings in the human mind, beliefs, sorrows, and dignity. The sites under discussion are "ghosts" of the tragedies of the past century. Among heritage communities, states and experts, there were intense debates about the values and fate of those areas. Besides several historical, political and socioeconomic issues, personal wounds were reconciled. The first case describes the heritage communities' initiatives in accessing and reconciling values of contested Cold War heritage  - Suurpea Naval Base erected during Soviet Occupation and deportations on the coasts of Estonia. The second case deals with the initial demolition and later recognition of Sami burial sites and sacred landscapes of Arctic Norway, re-gaining the rights to Saami heritage and restitution. These cases highlight the importance of inclusiveness while dealing with conflicting histories, reconciliation, restitution, and dignity of heritage and communities concerned. Authors rely on a holistic concept of cultural heritage. Cultural communities, spirit and feeling of their presence are essential indicators of character and sense of place. The authors show the benefits of a people-centred approach towards heritage as the basis of transformative change in heritage protection. The authors` positions are not purely academic – they have been involved in defining and protecting the cultural heritage of the areas under discussion. Keywords: cultural heritage, heritage communities, sociocultural accessibility, inclusiveness, restitution, reconciliation