ABSTRACT
This chapter evaluates the topic of heritage in the Pacific. The author examines the areas of cultural and natural heritage and identifies the legal regimes which seek to protect them. Specifically, this chapter traverses the various regional and international agreements that relate to heritage in the Pacific, including the World Heritage Convention and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Throughout the chapter, the author unpacks the historical and political context in which matters of heritage arise in the Pacific, looking at some of the general characteristics of Pacific cultures and how communities relate (and have related) to the natural world. Key natural World Heritage sites are covered in this chapter, including the Phoenix Islands World Heritage site (Kiribati), the Lagoons of New Caledonia, and East Rennell Island (Solomons). Overall, this chapter is important for understanding the unbreakable connection between communities and their place in the natural world. The author also shows how the governance of the Pacific’s heritage is impacted by, and is a legacy of, past colonial endeavours.
