ABSTRACT
This chapter is derived from archaeological engagements with the Esie and Igbaja communities in northern Yorubaland. The Esie and Igbaja communities belong to the Igbomina sub-group of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Active interactions between communities and other heritage and tourism stakeholders within the framework of heritage protection, management, and development are not common in this West African sub-region. Here, people identify major hindrances for productive interactions between and among the different heritage management stakeholders and local communities. In most communities in Igbominaland and for most parts of the western region of Nigeria, religious dichotomy and intolerance have led to frustration for researchers who would have otherwise brought to the fore the cultural and natural heritage of the people. The 1800-1960 period is very significant in the history of Igbominaland; it was a time during which two colonial experiences forever altered the political, social, economic, and cultural landscapes there.
