Cultural heritage in Santa Elena: ethnicity and oral memory in La Libertad (Ecuador)

Abstract

This paper illustrates in a general and schematic way the cultural manifestations related to ethnicity and oral memory of the people in La Libertad in 2014. It does no intend to show a complete and detailed analysis of these aspects, however it seeks to highlight important cultural dynamics of the region. The research focused on ethnical construction and in the registration of cultural data of intangible heritage, understanding it as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and techniques that are transmitted from generation to generation among groups and individuals. The overall objective is to present some records of oral memory that conform part of the local intangible heritage, prioritizing a wide range of views on memory and social praxis of minorities, which often are left voiceless in the official history and without evidence in theoretical writing. To do this, an ethnographic study was necessary. The local testimonies provided key information for the reconstruction of their social, cultural, economic and ecological history. This research rescues cultural dynamics that are relevant in the construction of their social identity. Therefore, the registration of intangible heritage in La Libertad is not only the key for cultural safeguard, it also is a tool to build the basis for diagnostic, research and planning safeguard lines, providing transmission, recovery and dissemination of cultural knowledge in the context of constructing a plurinational and intercultural State.