Basque ethnography at a glance

Navarrese jota singers. Source: Portal of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain.

When talking about authenticity, we tend to think of immutable things. Apparently, something is authentic if it remains the same, if it is not “contaminated,” and if it is reproduced repeatedly, faithful to an ancient form. This idea works quite well when we talk about tangible heritage (an altarpiece, a building, a sculpture). However, when it comes to Intangible Cultural Heritage (festivals, music, rituals, crafts, oral traditions)—hereafter, ICH—the concept of authenticity becomes more fluid.

The 2003 UNESCO Convention clearly states that intangible heritage is transmitted from generation to generation, but is constantly recreated by communities, in accordance with their environment, history, and social context.^[1] In other words, the key to the continuity of this heritage lies not in the fossilization of the tangible culture itself, but in its evolution over time. Therefore, as far as the ICH is concerned, being “authentic” is rarely the same thing: what a community considers its own is authentic, even though it can change.

The result is paradoxical: the more one tries to consolidate a tradition to protect it, the greater the risk of turning it into a spectacle. As Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblet has pointed out, intangible heritage is not only inherited, but also reproduced, reinvented, or publicly presented, often adapting it to new formats.^[2]

In Navarre, there are quite representative examples of this dilemma between authenticity and change. Consider, for example, the Pamplona City Council. The City Council has a traditional system of representation called Iruñeko Hiri Gorputza (Pamplona City Corps) that dates back to the Privilege of Union (1423) and has been transformed throughout history.^[3] Its “truth” does not lie in reproducing the same gesture over and over again, but in remaining a tool for the symbolic representation of the city, even in changing institutional contexts. It is not a relic: it is a civic language in constant evolution.

City Council, in the procession on the day of Saint Saturninus. Source: Portal of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain.

Another representative sphere is the one of music and oral tradition. The Government of Navarre has declared several expressions as Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as bertsolaritza (2018)^[4] and the Navarrese jota (2019). If we observe the social reality of these activities, we will immediately realize that their vitality stems from a somewhat impure characteristic: precisely from their capacity to operate in diverse spaces (squares, stages, schools, competitions, online networks) and to engage with contemporary audiences. In these cases, authenticity cannot be reduced to “acting as before,” because this “before” is not a static snapshot: it is a chain full of changes, which fortunately has not been broken.

All of this leads us to an uncomfortable but urgent reflection: perhaps authenticity, understood as a rigid criterion, is not suitable for the IOC. Rethinking “truth” therefore implies the need to change the question. Instead of asking, “Is it authentic?”, it is more appropriate to ask other questions: “For whom is it authentic?”, “What value does it hold?”, “What relationships keep it alive?”, “Under what conditions is it transmitted?”. Being authentic does not always mean being old, but rather continuing to have meaning for the community, even if it takes on new forms. Therefore, protecting this heritage does not imply trying to keep it unchanged, but rather helping it evolve in accordance with the dynamism of culture. Protecting intangible heritage means protecting the community’s capacity to continue transforming it while still being recognized as one’s own.

^[1] UNESCO, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), art. 2.

^[2] Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, “Intangible Heritage as Metacultural Production”, Museum International 56(1–2) (2004).

^[3] Ministerio de Cultura (España), Cuerpo de la Ciudad de Pamplona/Iruña (Portal de Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial).

^[4] The Basque Government also officially declared bertsolaritza (the art of improvised verse) an Intangible Cultural Asset of Special Protection in June 2024.

Julio Cesar – Labrit Heritage

Bibliography

Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Barbara. “Intangible Heritage as Metacultural Production.” Museum International 56(1–2) (2004).

Ministerio de Cultura (España). Cuerpo de la Ciudad de Pamplona/Iruña. Portal de Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial.

Museo Etnológico de Navarra. “Bienes declarados” (Bertsolarismo, Jota Navarra).

UNESCO. Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003).