Safeguarding the critically endangered cultural heritage of the Fataluku people: an e-inventory of intangible cultural elements

Abstract

The protection and celebration of cultural practices are vital for all people, but particularly those whose ways of life have been damaged by colonization, as has occurred in Timor‐Leste for five centuries. This article introduces an e‐inventory of forms of cultural expression of the Fataluku people of eastern Timor‐Leste which are considered by their protagonists to be critically endangered. These 30 elements from across UNESCO's five domains of cultural expression are documented and available online in video, photo and text. Statistics offered by YouTube indicate pleasingly large numbers of people accessing this material, from within and outside Timor. The potential of new technology to co..