The material past as a political tool: Owning and restoring heritage in Quintana Roo, Mexico

• In Event: Heritage discourses: from nation-building to nation-branding?

Abstract

The epicenter of the Caste War of Yucatan in the mid-19th century, Tihosuco blurs the line between the past and present: it is a modern town peppered with ruins of colonial structures that are actively being used to create a future-looking tourism and development plan. My project interrogates how the use of the over sixty historic structures within Tihosuco has changed over time, and how government restoration projects impact their value in the community.
Unlike the more fixed national narratives recounting the indigenous history of Mexico, residents of Tihosuco define their identities and histories through the story of the Caste War, a marginalized and understudied era of Mexican history. Much of this heritage is directly tied to the material remains of the past, embedded in places and objects. Recently, government actors have brought in external funding for the restoration of these structures, with little input or approval from the town. This work highlights the constant negotiation of ownership rights between government agencies and the people who live within the houses, generating complicated questions about who can own or interpret the past.
I argue for the necessity of a deeper look at how modern heritage preservation practices create and perpetuate structural social and economic inequality. In particular, I argue that the government control over historic resources, the strengthening regulations over restoration, and the increased interest in creating a historic zone have helped maintain, through to the present day, the types of power structures that existed prior to the Caste War.

Author

• Kasey Diserens Morgan