Abstract:
Concerns over the negative impact of large-scale developments are becoming more prominent
in an ever-evolving world. Linked to these concerns are the indigenous communities who
continue to interact with their heritage present in the surrounding landscape, an interest that
should be protected through the implementation of legislation that is truly representative of a
country’s population. The comparative study presented in this dissertation was conducted at
two locations; Dumezulu in South Africa and Jokkmokk in Sweden. I interviewed the relevant
stakeholders in order to understand the impact each group had on the heritage resources present
in the respective study areas. In South Africa, I assessed the relationship of key stakeholders
(community members, Traditional Council, and the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) involved in
the construction and future management of the tourism centre. It became evident that there
were a number of misunderstandings between these stakeholders. The Municipality, as a
government structure, seemed to have an upper hand in terms of power. While the tourism
development was the initiative of the Dumezulu community, the Municipality has the final say
in decision-making because it raised and allocated part of the funding. Furthermore, South
African heritage legislation does not seem to favour communities, giving more power to the
state through its ownership of heritage resources. In Sweden, I interviewed and spoke to
relevant authorities on Sami heritage issues. These were people who had worked closely with
the Sami population. The heritage issues present in the South African case study did not differ
drastically to the issues present in the Swedish case study. Inequality is not limited to South
Africa, but Sweden too, where the Sami population does not command power over decisions
linked to their cultural heritage resources. While the Sami have attracted interest for tourism
purposes, a large number of these visitors are still mainly driven by stereotypes. As in the case
of South Africa, the Swedish heritage legislation does not make special allowances for the
Sami to manage their heritage resources in ways they consider appropriate for them. What I
conclude is that there is the need for increased appreciation of Traditional Management
Systems.
