The National park instantaneously generates to the mind the picture of cosmic innate
space in which fauna and flora prosper and shelter from the actions of human beings. It is
because the term is intimately connected to the imagery of the wild nature; thus connecting the
term with the questions of the nations which seems as controversial. As a result, conservation of
nature and parks are utilized by countries to create and support nationalism.
National parks have a capability of promoting a sense of national belonging through
emotions that are created from human interaction with nature. The world is rapidly becoming
dynamic and everything is changing but natural environment lasts thus playing a key role in
preserving created memories of national belonging. Robert & Lana (280) explain that there exists
a fragile relationship between natural environment and its geographical location. This is because;
its nature that defines geography of a place and this has little or nothing to do with geographical
boundaries. Nature results from the seed of its disappearance which promotes nostalgia.
Therefore the major motivation in an expansion of heritage (or the procedure utilized for identity
by individuals in a particular location) is emotions.
The landscape conversation prepares the way for the national identification process. That
is particular strategies for the utilization of land boosts the feeling of collective belonging and
acts as the bases for communication concerning national identity. The nature provided by parks
is not natural and should otherwise be considered as cultural artifact controlled by the authority
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based on the aspects chosen to be protected (Robert & Lana 255). For instance, according to
Gallium Blanc Start by the characters which presume that nature, unlike others who cite it as
biologically granted, it is socially granted (Robert & Lana 260). The political and social building
of nature acts as a national account which illustrates the procedure of heritage creation and
collective identity.
In addition, national park locations can be identified as political landscapes that
communicate national heritage. Robert & Lana (12) say that the Cevennes national park in
France is among the retrospective approaches for improving rural areas. It was the major
consideration of the countries which were majorly agricultural in the 20th century but
experienced changes in the Second World War. The France authority is aiming at offering lease
of the rural community which is deteriorating, therefore, legitimizing the country through her
previous history.
It is evident that the nation as a memory narrative’s objective is for the protection of the
life of the community. The approaches of national identity transform to the defense of the life of
the common citizens compared to the protection of nature: the customary Cevennes culture is
precipitous in nature (Robert & Lana 23). However, nature is comprehended through its
arthroscopic dimension and human beings are connected as the natural element. Concerning the
rearrangement of land utilization (Land-use planning), the managers of the park Valorizes local
tradition through the restoration of customary peasant houses or offer support to pastoral and
agricultural projects.
According to Figueiredo (7), the national parks, aspire to express a sagacity of national
belonging like political landscape. In the study conducted by Nash (193), the method partially
fulfills the role in Canada and France which is not the case in Ethiopia because the park was built
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mainly to earn legitimacy internationally. Furthermore, the process of attachment to heritage
founded through emotions generated by nature is not common amid populations in which
majority of individuals reside in rural areas and it’s usual for them to interact and build
experiences and memories with nature in their daily living.
Apart from decoding the national accounts through the gauges of park landscaping, Nash
(32) also evaluates the objectives of conservation, aims of local economic expansion, and
divergence in the interests of both the foreign and local communities who visit the parks. The
local communities build their national identity by promoting culture and national heritage that
their national parks preserve to the international community who visit as tourists.
The local community gives their space for construction of national parks and this
necessitates the limitation of anthropic practices to elude that nature proceeds beyond
contemporary time (Robert & Lana 34). For instance, even if the issue of Cevennes Park is the
location in which the human being footprint is connected to nature, it is evident that the rural life
is valorized. Moreover, blocking time in this manner could also result in conflict in the
community (Nash 194). The conflict can be physical like in the case of Forillon Park where
individuals were displaced, and on the other hand, the violence can be symbolic as well: the local
community can realize that it is their responsibility to set nature free from their presence.
In conclusion, it evident that national parks are vital in creating nationalism of any
country. They preserve memories and heritage of a nations citizens. Experiences that citizens
build in their natural environment form their identity as long as that natural location is still
preserved and they can visit to refresh the memories. The local community is also an important
factor in promoting nationalism through park as they offer space for building of national parks as
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well as promote their national identity through culture and historical memories. Therefore
national parks should be protected as they are vital in creating nationalism.
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Works Cited
Figueiredo, Yves. "Inventing Yosemite Valley: national parks and the language of
preservation." Historical Geography 35 (2007): 12-37.
Nash, Catherine. "Reclaiming vision: looking at landscape and the body." Gender, Place and
Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography 3.2 (1996): 149-170.
Waitt, Gordon, Robert Figueroa, and Lana McGee. "Fissures in the rock: rethinking pride and
shame in the moral terrains of Ulu ru." Transactions of the Institute of British
Geographers 32.2 (2007): 248-263.