Heritage politics and Indigenous self-determination: negotiating the narratives of the rice terraces in the Philippines

This article examines the politics of World Heritage and Indigenous self-determination through the case of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Cordillera region of the Philippines. While World Heritage designation affirms the global significance of Indigenous heritage, it often imposes state-centric and expert-driven frameworks that marginalise local perspectives. Drawing on ethnography, discourse analysis, and reflexive positioning, the article analyses two debates: the contested chronology of the rice terraces and the state-led conservation initiative. These debates illustrate how Indigenous peoples strategically navigate heritage discourses – at times reinforcing authorised framings to gain resources and recognition, and at other times challenging them to assert rights and decolonial aspirations. By foregrounding the ambivalence, fluidity, and multi-vocality in heritage-making, the article contributes to Critical Heritage Studies by highlighting the complex interplay between the Authorised Heritage Discourse (AHD) and Indigenous heritage practices. It frames heritage engagement as a spectrum of negotiation and appropriation, highlighting heritage as a dynamic practice marked by tension and creativity. The article highlights how heritage functions both as a contested arena and as a platform for asserting self-determination, where Indigenous peoples reclaim history and challenge state-led development agendas amid ongoing coloniality and state control.