Afro-Ecuadorian women from Esmeraldas (northwest Ecuador) live in a complex context of systemic racism and deterritorialisation resulting from escalating social violence, land grabbing and various forms of unsustainable natural resource extraction. However, it is important not to frame them as victims of their circumstances; therefore, this article draws on decolonial, feminist research centring Afro-Ecuadorian women’s exploration of their intangible cultural heritage. In doing so, we address gaps in the field of critical heritage studies that has largely focused on tangible heritage; the global North; and/or Indigenous populations to the detriment of other marginalised groups. We critically analyse how Afro-Ecuadorian women’s narratives of ancestrality, everyday practices and collective knowledge emphasise their intimate connections to territory and place, while also incorporating pre-colonial memory. In doing so, we argue that gendered heritage practices and collective memory are intimately connected with Afro-Ecuadorian women’s responses to socio-environmental injustices, and play a vital role in strengthening their resistance.
Boudewijn et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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