Building a Façade: When Political Involvement Changes the Narrative, Fabric, and Value of Historic Sites

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper explores the ways in which local government involvement in the restoration of historic structures and archaeological sites can change the ways in which they are valued and used by local communities. How do opinions surrounding heritage change when people are confronted with differing actors imposing differing values on historic properties? How do tourism and heritage managers contribute to the continued othering of narratives that run counter to a nationalized and standardized view of indigenous histories? I focus on a recent government restoration program of ten historic structures located in Tihosuco, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The program was initiated without significant input from those that live in the houses, and even less input was garnered from other members of the community. For the government actors, this project was a political tool, with the potential economic benefit of creating a small-scale tourist attraction in town. I documented both the changes made to the buildings, but also the changes in the attitudes about the government, the houses, tourism, and the legacy of their history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 26110