| Naming of places
Place names are part of the oral intangible culture of a community. The naming of the places tends to be location-specific and flexible,
depending on the way the tribe relates to a feature at a given point in
time. Major features are given specific
names that endure for generations especially where the feature is used as a
reference point by different kinship groups.
However, names of less significant places often change, and several
names may co-exist.
However, this process is at risk
from external forces. The increase in
tourism to the area of Wadi Rum requires that maps are produced to provide
reference points for visitors. However,
in these maps only the locations of interest to tourists are identified. The landmarks that allow the local tribes to
navigate between deerah are neglected.
It has also been noted that, in the process of mapping and naming, local
names are lost and ‘new names' substituted.
The classic examples refer to the process by which the life of ‘Lawrence
of Arabia' has been imprinted onto features in the valley (Lawrence's
Spring, Lawrence's
House).
Observers note that this is
changing the relationship between local Bedu
and their own space and history. Bedu involved in the tourism trade
usually refer to 'touristic sites' using original names. If, through a slip of
tongue, they use the 'touristic name' then they get corrected by their peers.
However, it is noticeable that increasingly the young men (who have a stronger
role with tourists) are using the new ‘touristic name', while the original
slowly erodes. This has a gendered
dimension - girls and women have less contact with tourists and therefore tend
to use the original names.
Under the project, actions were taken to investigate the various ways that these places have been named and to ensure
that the local names are validated and preserved.
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