ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores diverse case studies from urban and rural contexts around the world. In these places, folklore has been shown to connect people geographically, spatially, temporally, and socially with their environment. For the indigenous peoples discussed in the book – Anishnaabe, indigenous Hawaiian, Chorotega and Sámi, amongst others – folklore and traditional ecological knowledge have connected people to the land for thousands of years, through many generations of colonial oppression, and in spite of enforced displacement from ancestral territories. The popularity of folklore can be both an opportunity and a burden for communities as the influx of new people raises questions about how best to promote and deliver tourist experiences in an authentic manner. These challenges are perhaps most visceral in natural environments that become damaged or vandalised by visitors, most often trying to recreate traditional customs in sacred spaces.
