Protecting the Past, Preserving the
Present: The Oyu Tolgoi Cultural
Heritage Program
Jeffrey H. Altschul
Statistical Research, Inc./SRI Foundation
American Center for Mongolian Studies Panel “Common Ground: The
Intersection of Mining and Cultural Heritage in Mongolia”
North America Mongolia Business Council , 21st Annual Meeting
Washington, D.C.
April 28, 2011
Oyu Tolgoi
What’s the Problem?
From the Strategic Impact
Assessment
• The likelihood that there will be
an increase in illegal excavations
and disturbance of significant
archaeological and
paleontological resources
• Increased in-migration (the
majority non-Mongolian) will
cause a weakening of local
traditions and cultural identity
• The project’s economic impact
will lead to better prospects for
preserving and protecting cultural
heritage
“In short, locals are
concerned that objects and
traditions may be lost but
remain cautiously optimistic
that mining operations will
provide better opportunities
to support local museums,
protect resources in situ,
restore and conserve
damaged cultural items, and
encourage heritage tourism.”
Cultural Heritage Program (CHP)
Design: Objectives and Goals
“The objective of this
study is to create a
cultural heritage
program specific to
the Oyu Tolgoi (OT)
project, the goal is for
the OT CHP to serve as
a model for the
country.”
•
The identification, evaluation, and
mitigation of tangible and intangible
heritage
•
The creation of public outreach and
education in the form of museums,
school programs, and other venues
•
The structuring of heritage tourism so
that the development of historic
monuments, restoration of
monasteries, and enhancement of
traditional crafts have beneficial
economic and social results
•
The development of sustainable
culture mechanisms to ensure the
survival of the uniquely Mongolian
traditional way of life
Finding the Balance
To be successful, the CHP
must allow economic
development without
destroying a traditional
lifestyle. The CHP is not so
much about preserving places
and things as it is about
establishing a process by
which Mongolians determine
who they are to become by
ensuring that they know
who they were.
Ömnögovi aimag, showing
direct impact areas in pink
Three Elements of the CHP
• Tangible Resources
• Intangible Resources
• Public Programs
Tangible Resources
• Archaeology
• Paleontology
• Historic Places
Intangible Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nomadic Culture
Customs
Language
Dances
Songs
Festivals
Public Programs
• Education
• Museums
• Heritage Tourism
Project Organization
Phase 1
• Literature search
• Gap analysis
• Baseline fieldwork
• Community and stakeholder
consultation
• Assessment of the legal
framework affecting cultural
heritage
• Cultural heritage inventory
and mapping
• Risk analysis
• Establishment of a Standards
of Acceptable Cultural
Change framework
Tangible Resources
• Inventory of OT Direct Impact Area
• Creation of a Database for Ömnögovi aimag
• Predictive Model for Ömnögovi aimag
Intangible Cultural Heritage
• The South Gobi’s rich
intangible heritage
–
–
–
–
Silversmiths
Nomadism
Songs and singers
Games
• Sacred places
• What to protect?
How to protect it?
Public Programs
• Museums are places that:
– Help people understand
their own as well as other
cultural heritage;
– transform the tangible
and intangible knowledge
into forms of public
involvement.
• Integrating cultural
heritage and education
• Tourism: allowing people
to engage in their history
without destroying it
The Problem with Compliance
The Mongolian Law of Cultural
Heritage
– All mining companies must
protect cultural heritage
– The current compliance rate is 3.7
percent
Cultural Heritage Loss
– More than 3,000 archaeological
sites have probably been
disturbed or destroyed due to
mining
– Paleontological losses are
incalculable
– Rate of culture change is
increasing
Inconsistent Compliance
– Some companies are very good
– Some companies ignore the law
Risks: Threats and Opportunities
Five most important threats and opportunities
to the cultural heritage of Ömnögovi aimag
Threats
• Loss of nomadic culture
• Destruction of
archaeological, historical
and paleontological sites
• Loss of customs and
rituals
• Negative impact of
traditional social order
• Loss of traditional
animal husbandry
Opportunities
• Registration of cultural
heritage and establishment
of database
• Improved research
opportunities
• World Heritage List
Placements
• New South Gobi Museum
and improved soum
museums
• Enhancement of cultural
centers
Key Issues for the CHP
• Public Policy
• Comprehensive
Solution to
Intangible Resources
• Capacity Building
• Empowering Local
Communities
Public Policy
Comprehensive Solution
to Cultural Heritage
The South Gobi Cultural Heritage Center
Capacity Building
Professional
Training
Training the
Trainers
Empowering Local Communities
Standards of Acceptable Culture Change
What conditions are acceptable and how do
we obtain them?
• Definition of acceptable resource and
social conditions
• Baseline conditions
• Management actions
• Monitoring
A New Beginning
• The OT CHP Design
will be complete in
July 2011
• Then the hard work
begins!