Away From Place: Expanding Intangible Cultural Resource Protections Under U.S. and International Law

Abstract:University of Kentucky historic preservation professor, Emily Bergeron, addresses how laws and legal frameworks regulating the preservation of intangible heritage lag well behind those related to historic places and objects. Bergeron explores U.S. and international conventions and accords that guide the preservation of intangible heritage, where they stop short or can be improved. Bergeron also acknowledges the Eurocentric nature of historic preservation guidelines, noting that international law is beginning to connect intangible heritage preservation with indigenous communities, and in doing so, those communities are being positioned to have agency over their heritage.