The Art-Heritage-Religion Nexus: Negotiating Indigenous African Traditions in the Religiously Diverse Context of Coastal Kenya

Abstract

Indigenous groups across Africa face criticism from Christians and Muslims who associate indigenous traditions with backwardness and witchcraft. Such criticism sparks efforts by indigenous groups to protect their traditions by representing them as art, religion, or heritage. These are globally circulating frames through which people (re)interpret elements of the past to make them relevant to the present. Research on the relations between art, religion, and heritage largely concentrates on Europe, while little is known about how this global nexus operates in Africa. This chapter examines the global reach of this nexus by studying attempts of the Giriama people in Kenya to protect their indigenous traditions against Muslim and Christian criticism in the domains of art, religion, and heritage. The focus on these fields highlights how Giriama people relate themselves to different frames—initially not of their own making—through which elements of their tradition are categorized and marked as relevant for the present. By analyzing how Giriama people (re)present their traditions to Muslims, Christians, and (inter)national institutions, this contribution aims to critically assess the opportunities and challenges that the frames of art, religion, and heritage offer for marginalized groups trying to preserve indigenous traditions. In this way, the chapter provides insights into the struggles of indigenous voices to find recognition in diverse societies today.