This project involved folklore and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) transmission. The Alexandru Stefulescu Gorj County Museum (Romania) and Oregon Folklife Network (Oregon) attempted to explore these things together in their project of cultural exchange titled Exploring Indigeneity, Place, Traditions, and Transmission, during a 6 month collaboration funded by the US Department of State and administered by World Learning through the Communities Connecting Heritage Program. We used an intergenerational approach to explore the transmission of Native American and Romanian place-based, intangible cultural heritage, such as regalia making, storytelling, traditional folk costumes, rug weaving, and woodcarvings.
UNESCO defines ICH as “Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions,
performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge, and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.”
What are Your Definitions of ICH and Folklore?
Jeremya, University of Oregon, Folklore Undergraduate Student: “Intangible Cultural Heritage – “In·tan·gi·ble”: impalpable, transcendental, not fully perceptible by touch.
To me, intangible cultural heritage, or ICH encompasses the traditions, spaces, and emic knowledge passed down from generation to generation among a people group. These traditions are both dynamic and fluid yet are firmly rooted in the past. From my own experience as well as studying examples of ICH within different cultures, I see intangible cultural heritage playing a role in the development [or] re-affirmation of one’s identity, and helping to keep alive the rich diversity present on Earth.”
Anna, University of Oregon, Undergraduate Student: “In my opinion, folklore is defined as traditions that can be categorized as stories, family recipes, celebrations, crafts, music, and just traditions that you’re tied to/identified with. The root of it is tightly correlated with tradition and passing things down generations. As we progress with today’s technology, I feel as if this definition will continue to evolve as well, since it is originally associated with face to face interactions and we are veering towards a more electronic world.”
Iris, University of Oregon, Folklore and Public Culture Graduate Student: “Folklore is a difficult term to define. Originally I posted “For me, folklore is the stories and practices that tell and teach us about ourselves. Folklore is traditions, customs, beliefs, stories, practices, crafts, performances, etc., that tie into a person’s and communities’ cultural identity. Traditionally folklore is passed on verbally, face to face, through the generations, but with the rise of electronic communications it has allowed people to connect/ reconnect to their cultural practices and traditions.” I want to add to this definition that festivals and community gatherings that occur annually count as folklore events. It brings together people of a community to participate in a cultural event. It is an activity that expresses a cultural identity through the food, activities, games, themes, etc. that are present.”
Rose, University of Oregon Masters of Nonprofit Management Student and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies Student: “I would define folklore as the culture of people, passed from person to person, and celebrated with a sense of tradition. It can also often be associated with a particular group of people and connected to that groups identity.”
Alia, University of Oregon, Folklore and Public Culture Graduate Student: “Folklore is vernacular culture. It is informal, traditional, passed down, dynamic, non-institutional, relevant, participatory, and expressive. It usually either subverts or reinforces dominant ideologies. Folklore comprises the things we: say (jokes, stories, etc.), do (traditional dances etc. ), make (baskets, quilts, etc.) and believe (superstitions etc.)”