Heritage tourism and sustainable development: nurturing Naga connections to land and burial traditions

Heritage tourism has become one way for Indigenous communities to carve out new economic opportunities in support of sustainable development. To date, this has focused on the development of cultural tourism opportunities based on cultural landscapes and ecotourism. Death heritage, one aspect of Indigenous heritage tourism, has rarely been explored, but has great potential due to the emotional impact of material culture such as graves and gravestones. There are benefits to participating in this spectrum of tourism, but there are also risks to those taking part and to the nonrenewable cultural heritage upon which these activities are based. This study explores the potential of Indigenous heritage tourism in relation to the Nagas’ connection to their land and to “remembering the dead.” Like Indigenous peoples around the world, the Nagas consider graves and burial sites to be emblematic of ancestral history. The study investigates the possibility of integrating graves, cemeteries, and aspects of burial rites with heritage tourism. The study also opens up avenues for further research into the “everyday and natural reality of death” aspect of necro-heritage rather than on tragic phenomena. Emphasis is placed on sustainable development goals (SDG): SDG 1 End Poverty in All Its Forms; SDG 5 Gender Equality; SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth; and SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, to respect cultural values and involve community control. This study also advocates for Indigenous communities to lead the projects, ultimately prioritizing Indigenous voices and reinforcing cultural identities, which can be overlooked in Indigenous archaeology.