What the hurricane could not blow away: Intangible cultural heritage and resilience in the aftermath of disaster in Old Providence and Santa Catalina

Presentation What the hurricane could not blow away: Intangible cultural heritage and resilience in the aftermath of disaster in Old Providence and Santa Catalina, by Professor Ana Isabel Márquez Pérez (Universidad Nacional de Colombia).

On November 15-16, 2020, Hurricane Iota, a Category 4 storm, devastated Old Providence and Santa Catalina islands, home to the Raizal people, an Afro-descendant community with unique cultural traditions.

Despite extensive damage, cultural practices like fishing, music and architecture, have been vital to recovery. This presentation highlights the importance of intangible cultural heritage in disaster recovery and climate change adaptation, advocating for its inclusion in policies. The research is based on personal experiences and ethnographic fieldwork, and is also linked to a podcast. 

Ana Isabel Márquez Pérez is an anthropologist and holds a Master in Sustainable Tourism Management and PhD in Social Sciences in Development, Agriculture and Society. She has been an Assistant Professor at the National University of Colombia, Caribbean Campus, on the island of San Andrés since 2017, and a member of the Research Group on Nation, Region, and International Relations in the Caribbean and Latin America. Her working include social perspectives on fishing and the sea, territories and maritime territories, environmental conflicts, blue grabbing, and various topics related to the culture and history of the Raizal people of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. She also supports local social processes and coordinates the Traditional Navigation Festival of the Insular Caribbean, an initiative to safeguard cultural expressions related to the sea in the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina (Colombia).