Heritage as Weapon: Contested Geographies of Conservation and Culture in the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, India

Local communities in the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA), India, have successfully used cultural heritage as a tool to resist conservation policies that restrict access to sacred sites. By framing their region as the 'Valley of the Gods' and leveraging tourism imagery depicting local deities, these communities have challenged global conservation agendas while channeling opposition through democratic processes. The study highlights how democracy empowers local resistance against new environmental restrictions, illustrating a complex negotiation between global heritage values and local cultural practices. This research underscores the role of heritage in shaping contested geographies, particularly in mountainous regions under pressure from expanding protected areas.

Chhatre, A., Lakhanpal, S., & Prasanna, S. (2016). Heritage as Weapon: Contested Geographies of Conservation and Culture in the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, India. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 107(2), 456–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2016.1243040