Identifying and recording three of the important heritage sites pertaining to the history of the black people in the Free State

[摘要] This project is aimed at identifying historical places ofinterest concerning black history. A similar project hasbeen done before by Tshidiso Ratithlare. This shows thatblack history has been ignored for a very long time. Thishas brought about a lack of self-identification andconfidence in black people and also implanted aninferiority complex towards their own history.The identification and preservation of the heritage sitesis an emotional issue which can either rally or dividepeople. The story of site tells, can be one person's dre.amand another's nightmare. South Africa is a particularlyfragmented society, and many people clutch onto the safetyand familiarity of the exclusive and divisive symbols athand. Sites themselves seek to include group members in ashared understanding of culture and heritage.Becoming a more democratic society means, inter alia, finding new heritage sites that reflect and reinforce this new identity. However, heritage sites should not beallowed to become a political football and arouse conflict,and great circumspection should be exercised with thechoice of heritage sites. The sites discussed in this dissertation are not only ofinterest or importance to blacks, but also to the entirepopulation of South Africa, particularly of the Free Stateprovince. In the Free State province there is a wealth ofhistorical resources still to be tapped. History as adiscipline must proceed alongside adjacent disciplines suchas archaeology, ethnology, geography, anthropology and theExpertise of the National Monuments Council and NationalMuseums must be utilized.

[发布机构] University of the Free State