Identification, preservation and management of cultural heritage in Mato Grosso

trajectories, advances and challenges

Abstract

The article seeks to trace the paths of public policies and cultural heritage preservation instruments operated by the Mato Grosso state government since the creation of its Cultural Foundation in 1975 to the present day. The investigation into this itinerary aims to identify correspondences and dissonances between cultural heritage preservation practices in the state and trends and guidelines at national and international level. The aim is to systematize information contained in the technical-administrative processes of listing and registration, in an effort to understand the values ​​attributed to recognized cultural assets and their relationships with the conceptual advances ensured by legal frameworks and other public policy structuring instruments. The relevance of the research is strongly associated with the disproportion between references to some groups that form society represented in the cultural assets protected and the cultural diversity existing in the state. A trend, not exclusive to Mato Grosso, of valuing material goods, especially associated with hegemonic groups and discourses, to the detriment of intangible or immaterial goods is confirmed. It appears that other groups and dynamics of occupation of the territory are insufficiently represented in the list of Cultural Heritage of Mato Grosso, such as indigenous, riverside and quilombola peoples and their contributions to culture, through the recognition of manifestations, knowledge and practices. Furthermore, Mato Grosso has a very diverse and significant prehistoric and historical occupation, which is reflected in a representative archaeological collection that is also little recognized and disseminated. It is expected that the development of this research associated with a critical reading of the practice of preserving cultural assets by public managers, in addition to the construction of information and knowledge, can encourage reflections and advances in the preservation of cultural assets already safeguarded and the assets to be be recognized, guiding possible paths towards a more inclusive, democratic public management based on the cultural diversity of Mato Grosso.