6th Meeting of the Baixo Alentejo Museum Network
‘We understand each other by talking! Oral expression as memory and heritage
Centro Interpretativo do Barranquenho – Barrancos – 12 March 2024
The 6th Meeting of the Baixo Alentejo Museum Network was held on 12 March 2024 in Vila de Barrancos, organised in partnership with the Barrancos City Council and with the support of CIMBAL. The meeting’s aim was to address intangible heritage in terms of documentation and preservation of oral memory, with a focus on Barranquenho and Mirandês, with the participation of researchers Maria Victoria Navas Sánchez-Élez (University of Lisbon Centre of Linguistics / FRONTESPO Research Group), Maria Filomena Gonçalves (University of Évora / CIDEHUS / UNESCO Chair in Intangible Heritage and Traditional Know-how), Victor Diogo Correia (University of Évora/CIDEHUS/FCT), Filipe Themudo Barata (University of Évora/UNESCO Chair in Intangible Heritage and Traditional Know-how), Ana Marta Nobre (Moura City Council), Alberto Gómez Bautista (FRONTESPO Research Group/Languages, Literatures and Cultures Centre of the University of Aveiro) and Alfredo Cameirão (President of the Board of the Associaçon de la Lléngua i Cultura Mirandesa).
There was a guided tour of the Archaeology and Ethnography Municipal Museum of Barrancos in the afternoon.
Abstracts:
María Victoria Navas Sánchez-Élez – Oral heritage in Barrancos: Spanish memory among its people
The presence of inhabitants of Spanish origin in Barrancos has been a constant over centuries. With them came their language, culture, traditions and customs.
On this occasion, we will present the state of play with regard to the testimonies of oral and traditional Spanish literature that have survived and continue to survive in this community. The aim is to make a unique event known: the rich heritage not documented in Portuguese sources because it belongs to a Spanish legacy, nor collected in Spanish sources because it is located in Portuguese territory.
Maria Filomena Gonçalves – What is ‘language policy’ and what is it for?
Barranquenho has been subject to a series of explicit ‘language policy’ measures. Based on what is understood today as ‘language policy’, we will present the work underway to standardise, graphise and normatise Barranquenho, processes of ‘language planning’ that involve working with the linguistic community, involving both the local authorities and the holders of Barranquenho heritage, those who speak Barranquenho. It will show that language policy and planning are crucial to preserving the memory and culture of the Barrancos community.
Victor Diogo Correia – If ‘we understand each other by talking’, let’s talk about the Proposed Orthographic Convention for Barranquenho (PCOB)
The basis of the Proposed Orthographic Convention for Barranquenho is a pioneering text, as we are unaware of any other previous text that could serve as a model for coding the Barranquenho language. To do this, we use a variety of sources, such as: a) brief examples of texts with spontaneous spellings; b) a sociolinguistic framework (collected from the community), broken down by various surveys over the years; and c) the use of close coding models from other languages.
Having reached this platform of understanding, which we call Bases, it is now necessary to make a further assessment of the spelling proposals and make any necessary reformulations, in accordance with the internal coherence/systematisation typical of an orthographic convention. The community and its representatives have a decisive role with regard to all the choices of graphic and other elements that are considered pertinent to the realisation of the Proposed Orthographic Convention for Barranquenho.
Filipe Themudo Barata – Museums, interpretive centres and institutes and the search for a language preservation strategy
Museums that seek to contribute to the preservation of a language are not very common. It’s about trying to create a space in which the speaking community itself is aware of the value of its language and the importance of defending it. In order to launch some hypotheses about Barranquenho, it would be useful to take stock of some of the projects and begin to point out some lines of action.
Ana Marta Nobre – Thinking the Intangible, valuing the ICP – Moura Municipal Museum
The ‘Thinking the Intangible’ Project for the Preservation and Valorisation of the Intangible Heritage of the Municipality of Moura, developed by the Museums and Historical Heritage Sector of the Municipality of Moura, whose implementation resulted from the perception of the fragility felt in this territory in particular, with regard to intangible heritage. It’s a multi-year project that is committed to continuity and to awakening the community to the importance of surveying and valuing this heritage.
Alberto Gómez Bautista – The Mirandês language on the 25th anniversary of the approval of Law 7/99: current situation, opportunities and challenges
He presented the current situation of Mirandês, gave an account of the last 25 years (since the entry into force of Law no. 7/99, of 29 January – Official recognition of linguistic rights of the Mirandês community) and addressed the main challenges it faces in the near future.
Alfredo Cameirão – Mirandês, name of a language
He presented the work carried out by the Associaçon de la Lléngua i Cultura Mirandesa – ALCM.