When it comes to ritual ceremonies like Qing Ming, Chong Yang, Yu Lan, one will see all kinds of fascinating ritual paper offerings, ranging from the traditional to fashionable-living necessities, even though the recipients are dead. The types of ritual paper offerings can be categorized into paper materials (joss paper), bamboo-paper objects (traditional crafts), and non-bamboo framed objects (contemporary crafts). Though the life of these ritual paper objects is very short, because they are burned soon after they are made, they are designed and crafted in a very unique way. The topic of ritual paper objects is a very interesting one; however, it has hitherto received little scholarly attention from a heritage conservation perspective. It is found that a large body of literature mentions ritual paper objects in the context of the funeral ceremony. Building on the existing studies, this dissertation will demonstrate and recognize the cultural significance of the art and craft of bamboo-paper objects in Chinese culture with reference to the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), and thereby suggest ways for safeguarding this traditional craftsmanship. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Ihlambo is an African indigenous cleansing ceremony that has been used in an attempt to anchor the peace that has been initiated in some communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Indigenous ways of healing have become increasingly important for the indigenous people of Kwa-ZuluNatal after mass violations of human rights and the deaths of many individuals and families in the 1990s. This research was aimed at investigating survivors of violence‟s experiences of ihlambo. The purpose was to establish the process and therapeutic aspects of these ceremonies through interviewing community members from Mbumbulu and Richmond which are both located in Kwa-Zulu Natal and both have a history of mass violations of human rights, from the killings of innocent people to displacing most members of the community. This was due mainly to tribal and political wars. In the quest for forgiveness, peace and reconciliation, these communities have participated in mass ritual cleansing-ihlambo. The results of this research show that indicators of reconciliation and forgiveness for these communities are emotional wellbeing, mental healing, and the interconnection with ancestors. Other important themes were peace in the community, peace for those that died during the violence, and emotional/ mental healing.

This research is focused on the teachings of the First Nations people which are grounded sacred stories and which continue to be recalled and recited through oral tradition. The teachings and lessons derived from the sacred stories can be described as ways of knowing. The study explores the persistence of the traditional ways of knowing as a source for influencing First Nations individuals toward greater cultural identity and strength in their present lives. The thesis addresses the value of Peigan ways of knowing as a tool for creating greater meaning in life; for enhancing spiritual wisdom; and for developing insight into and appreciation of First Nation oral traditions. As well, the thesis explores Peigan ways of knowing as an available resource for empowering present day Peigan youth. In researching the First Nations ways of knowing, one Plains Indian group, the Peigan, of which the writer is a member, was used as reference source. The Peigan First Nation belongs to the Blackfoot Confederacy and presenlty resides in southern Alberta on the Peigan Indian Reserve. All participants of the research are members of the Peigan First Nation. The research will begin with an overview of the writer's personal experiences as a student in on-reserve and off-reserve school settings, and later as a worker in the counselling profession. The purpose and significance of the study will be presented as well as the research design within the qualitative methodology. Four individuals were selected as interview participants who were born and raised on the Peigan Reserve. The literature review will reflect current research on the significance of story in the First Nations culture and conclude with the presentation of the recent history of the North Peigan people. The interview data will then be presented with emphasis on the themes that surfaced. Six major themes arouse, which included, renewal and transformation, significance of sacred stories, transmitting culture through story, path of life, the teacher and learner relationship, and finally, the vision for Peigan-Blackfoot youth. The final chapter of the study begins with a summary of the findings and an overview of the themes that details finer points making up the major themes. The implications of and recommendations following the study precede the study's conclusion. / viii, 112 leaves ; 28 cm.

Thèse (M.Th.Pr.) -- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, programme en extension de l'Université de Montréal, 2005. / Bibliogr.: f. [74]-76. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Anthropology, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-93).

No description available.

Nyau Masquerades have been studied by missionaries, anthropologists and religious specialists, but have seldom been documented by theatre and performance specialists. This dissertation argues for the acceptance of Ny au performance as a contemporary world theatre form rooted in tradition. Charting the uneasy relationship between the Nyau and those who have sought to record their performances, the author delineates a vivid dramaturgy of this art form. In doing so, the boundaries of what define theatre as it has traditionally been understood in dominant discourses are made more fluid. Nyau performances have been affected by Colonial processes in varied ways. They were banned by the former government of Northern Rhodesia and severely censored by Catholic Mission teachings in the former Nyasaland. Other forms of vilification have been more subtle. Information about performance in Africa has often been collected and arranged in ways which limit the understanding of these genres. Images of Africa which cluster around the notion of the 'Primitive Other' have enabled a representation of Ny au masking as a superstitious and outdated practice with no relevance for contemporary Africa. This work calls for a new examination of the Nyau, through the lens of local discourse as well as contemporary global understandings of performance. Chapter One examines the issue of primitivism and the ways in which Africa has historically been posited as the exotic Other to Europe. Chapter Two examines the Nyau ih terms of specific dramaturgical elements, adjusting previous misconceptions surrounding the theatr~ forms of Chewa and Nyanja people. Chapter Three is devoted to a discussion of space in ritual theatre and Nyau performance, while Chapter Four explores masking and questions of transformation and liminality. In conclusion, it is seen that the use of the mask is a metaphor for the suspension of rigid boundaries separating subject/object, self/other, ritual/theatre, a suspension which needs to take place before an enriched understanding of performance in Africa can be reached.

Death customs perform a socially restorative function among cultures and are a meaningful expression of the value system of any particular culture. Death studies allow the examination of the values considered most significant by the studied culture. This thesis will examine and interpret the material culture recovered at two small cemeteries: Block 49, Utah, and Seccombe Lake, California. One result will show the material manifestation of Mormon religious beliefs in their mortuary practices. The final goal is to suggest that a more thorough examination of a religious sect's beliefs can create a general model of mortuary practices for that religious sect. From general models, we can begin to look at specific sites and understand the social, economic, and/or environmental forces that contribute to mortuary variability among members of the same religious organization.

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

This study investigates prehistoric West Mexican mortuary activities as technological systems. That is, the production, distribution, and use of mortuary ceramics are considered within a social context. Changes in technology are related to social and ideational changes in the society. In the past, interest in West Mexico has been stimulated by the large number of Pre-columbian ceramic figurines found in museums and private collections worldwide. Lacking more specific information, the art world created a "cult of the dead" to describe the people who made these figurines. Today, evidence on mortuary behavior and lifeways clearly demonstrates that these people were involved in many kinds of activities. This study aims to define mortuary activity within a context of technological, social, and ideational structures. Within this framework, technological changes occurring between the late Formative and the Classic period (200 B.C. to A.D. 700) at two small sites in the Valley of Atemajac were compared to changes occurring at the center of the region, 50 kilometers away. Technical analysis of the artifacts using optical, electron optical, and x-ray techniques was carried out. When combined with grosser archaeological categories regarding the treatment of the interred, and the distribution of artifacts within and between tombs, this resulted in a technological reconstruction of the production, distribution, and use of the mortuary ceramics. This technological reconstruction was placed within a regional context, based on inferences built from settlement pattern and architectural data as well as ethnohistoric records. Technological reconstruction resulted in the unconditional conclusion that the technical, social and ideational changes seen in the Valley of Atemajac could only be due to a discontinuity in site occupation, and later resettlement by outsiders.