Inventorying Intangible Cultural Heritages of the Ethiopian Somali People & Assessing their Values

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 257 - 268, 30.06.2019

Seyoum Merga

Abstract

Intangible Heritages
are non- material cultural heritages that includes oral traditions; performing
arts like music, dances; social practices, rituals and festive events; and
knowledge and skills of people. Undoubtedly, nations, nationalities and peoples
of Ethiopia are very in intangible cultural heritages. In addition to their
cultural values, intangible heritages have great economic cultural and academic
significances. Albeit there importance, most parts of intangible cultural
heritages in Ethiopia remains unstudied. Similarly the intangible cultural
heritages of the Ethiopian Somali are not well studied. Therefore, this study
was mainly conducted to inventorying the intangible cultural heritages of the
Ethiopian Somali with particular focus on two selected woredas of the Ethiopian
Somali Regional State. In this study, interview, observation and FGD (Focus
Group Discussion) were utilized as data gathering instruments. Then the
heritages are identified and documented using UNESCO format of inventorying
intangible heritages. Accordingly, samples of intangible cultural heritages
have been taken and documented based on the 2003 Convention of UNESCO which
divided intangible heritages into four domains. The study result shows that
Ethiopian Somalis are rich in intangible cultural heritages namely oral
traditions, performed arts, social practice, global and natural knowledge and
art knowledge. The heritages found in the study area are generally associated
with historical, religious and cultural life of the society. Moreover, the
study also reveals that the heritages have potentially great social, economic,
cultural and economic values. However, the heritages are not well utilized and
preserved in order to ensure their transmission to the future generation. 

Keywords

heritage, inventory, culture, Somali

References

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