Capacity building in cultural heritage management in the Pacific Island nations
A Cultural Heritage Centre for Asia and the Pacific and UNESCO Division of Cultural Heritage Project
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| Beach Street, Levuka, Fiji Islands | Huvalu Forest Conservation Zone, Niue |
In 2004 the Cultural Heritage Centre for Asia and the Pacific, Deakin University, coordinated a training project for heritage managers from Pacific Island nations in association with:
• Australia ICOMOS
• Pacific Islands Museums Association
• UNESCO Regional Office in Samoa
• UNESCO Division of Cultural Heritage, Paris
The project wais funded by theUNESCO Division of Cultural Heritage from the Japan Funds in Trust.
Project Objectives
The overall objectives of the project were:
• to improve human resources in the field of cultural heritage management;
• to increase awareness of the requirements for systematic recording of
heritage sites;
• to increase understanding of various kinds of site significance;
• to increase understanding of site identification and delimitation issues
(including buffer zones)
• to enhance skills used in the process of recording of tangible heritage;
• to increase knowledge of and skills in procedures for site management
and interpretation.
The project consisted of two training workshops at different Pacific Island heritage sites, Levuka Town, Ovalau Island, Fiji from the 18th – 24th March 2004 and Niue Island in the second half of 2004.
Material recorded at the workshops was used to produce an electronic training kit in the form of a CD-ROM for skills development in the assessment and recording of cultural values at Pacific heritage sites. Contact chcap@deakin.edu.au for a free copy of the CD.
More information follows on:
The Workshops-introduction
Levuka Workshop Photo gallery
Niue Workshop
Niue Workshop Photo gallery
Download Workshop Reports
Training Kit
Contact for more information
Links
The Workshops
There were two week-long intensive training workshops for 10 participants
currently working in heritage management in the Pacific - as archaeologists,
historic sites managers, conservators or senior representatives of national
agencies for conservation.
The Huvalu Conservation Zone, Niue and Levuka Town, Fiji have both natural and
cultural heritage significance. These two, very different, cultural landscapes
present a range of issues, constraints and possibilities for recording and management
of the sites which are directly relevant to the professional practice of the
participants.
Training workshops were organised in close consultation and co-operation with the relevant national bodies overseeing cultural heritage management and the Niue and Fiji UNESCO National Commissions.
Levuka Workshop Photo Gallery
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| Laurent Levi-Strauss | Tabuka Raikaci of Fiji Museum | Martha Kaltal, Vanuatu Cultural Centre | Falansi Taukei'aho singing |
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| Ima Savu (Fiji National Trust) and Vincent Pou (PNG National Museum) at Levuka cemetery | Workshop group presentation | Workshop group presentation | Beach Street Levuka |
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| Film crew at work. L to R: Fapoi Akesi, Anna Jacobs, Bronwyn Powell  Matha Kaltal and Elizabeth Niumataiwalu recording the only swimming pool |
Workshop group presentation  Drawing a plan using compass and tape |
Relaxing between workshops Christophe Sand of National Museum, New Caledonia at the Lovoni Hill
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Workshop presentation  Suli Sandys from Levuka Historical Society leading a tour of Levuka |
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Niue Workshop
The first of the two training workshops was originally scheduled for Niue, from the 19 - 25 January 2004. However, following the devastation caused to the island by Cyclone Heta on the 5th of January, only days before the workshop was due to start, there was little choice but to postpone it. While alternative locations for the second workshop were considered, the decision was made to keep Niue as the venue as a way of supporting the island's people in their attempts to rebuild their economy and infrastructure and to return to normality.
Cyclone Heta struck a serious blow to Niue’s cultural heritage, not only totally razing the nation’s Cultural Centre and Museum, but also destroying the Centre’s collection of documents, artefacts, photos and oral history recordings. CHCAP would like to support the people of Niue in their impressive efforts to rebuild after this catastrophe.
The workshop was planned with the permission and support of the Niue National Commission for UNESCO, the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Environment. We are particularly grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality shown to us during our visit.
In particular we would like to acknowledge the assistance and support of:
• Honourable Fisa Pihigia – Minister for Cultural Affairs/Chairperson
for Niue National Commission for UNESCO
• Mr Fapoi Akesi, Director of Department of Community Affairs, Niue
• Ms Roberta Sionesini, Niue National Commission for UNESCO
• Mr Robin Hekau, Director, Huanaki Cultural Centre & Museum, Niue.
The success of the workshop was underpinned by the generosity, support and assistance of the people of Niue, in particular:
• The Premier, Young Vivian
• Misa Kulatea
• Staff of the Department of Environment and the Department of Community
Affairs
• Rupina and Neil Morrissey of Kololis Guesthouse
• The villagers of Hakupu, Liku and Tuapa, and all the people of Niue
Niue Workshop Participants
| Dr Christophe Sand | Head of the Department of Archaeology, Service des Musees et du Patrimoine, New Caledonia |
| Mr Fapoi Akesi | Director, Community Affairs Department, Niue |
| Mr Robin Hekau | Director, Huanaki Cultural Centre & Museum, Niue |
| Mr Tubuka Raikaci | Conservation Assistant, Fiji National Museum |
| Ms Sereima Savu | National Trust for Fiji |
| Mr Vincent Pou | Curator, PNG National Museum and Art Gallery (JK McCarthy Museum, Goroka) |
| Mr Toni Tipama’a | Principal Parks and Reserves Officer, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Samoa |
| Mr Falanisi Taukei’aho | Senior Lecturer, Tonga Institute of Education, Kingdom of Tonga |
| Ms Martha Kaltal | Coordinator, Vanuatu Cultural and Historical Site Survey, Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta |
| Ms Elizabeth Niumataiwalu | National Trust for Fiji, Levuka Regional Office |
| Mali Voi | Cultural Adviser, UNESCO Regional Office in Apia |
| Ms Rhonda Griffiths | Cultural Adviser, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea |
| Dr Elspeth Wingham | Consultant and former UNESCO World Heritage Advisor in the Pacific for the UNESCO Regional Office in Apia |
Niue Workshop Communiqué
During
the Niue workshop, participants wrote a Communique - a message to
Pacific Island governments, non-government organisations, regional
and international heritage agencies, including UNESCO, ICOMOS, IUCN
and ICOM calling for support for cultural heritage conservation in
the region.
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Niue Photo Gallery
Click on any of the photographs to enlarge the image. |
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| After Cyclone Heta: The bulldozed remains of Alofi South |
Falanisi Taukei’aho inspects a coral boulder that demolished a house during Cyclone Heta | Workshop participants and representatives of the Niue Department of Environment | L to R: Martha Kaltal, Elspeth Wingham, Rhonda Griffiths, Tubuka Raikaci, Christophe Sand. |
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| Elder Mata Asi and Anita Smith at Hakupu village |
Site recording at ruins of Huanaki Cultural Centre |
Fapoi Akesi explains traditional usage of forest plants | Rhonda Griffiths and Bill Logan |
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| Matapa Chasm Togo Chasm |
Roberta Sionesini in Huvalu Conservation Zone |
Misa Kulatea demonstrating traditional Coconut Crab (Uga) trapping method | Premier of Niue, Young Vivian |
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 Robin Hekau, Elspeth Wingham, Anna Jacobs, Mali Voi and Toni Tipama’a at Matapa Chasm |
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Download Workshop Reports
Download a copy of the Levuka Interim Project Report "Training Workshops in Cultural Heritage Management in the Pacific Islands Nations" May 2004 (pdf 2.36MB)
Download a copy of the Niue Interim Project Report "Training Workshops in Cultural Heritage Management in the Pacific Islands Nations" October 2004 (pdf 3.1MB)
To read pdf files you need to have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. It can be downloaded free from the Acrobat site - Adobe Acrobat Download.
The Training Kit
A CD-ROM training kit documenting the workshops extends their value beyond the participants to Pacific heritage agencies and managers in general. The kitl provides professional development to heritage managers to increase skills in recording and researching cultural values in tangible heritage sites.
It is available free of charge to cultural heritage organisations and educational institutions from:
• Cultural Heritage Centre for Asia and the Pacific at Deakin Univiersity
• UNESCO
regional office in Apia
• Australia ICOMOS
• Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA)
For further information
Please contact chcap@deakin.edu.au
Links
| ICOMOS | http://www.icomos.org/australia/ |
| PIMA | http://www.pacificislandsmuseum.org/ |
| ACCU | http://www.accu.or.jp/en/ |
| UNESCO | http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/ |
