The collection and conservation of "cultural objects" has been gaining in complexity with the inclusion of non-material associations regarding ethnic and economic minorities. Despite the consensus on the concept of cultural heritage proposed by Unesco, the definition of what should be preserved and celebrated as "cultural object" may be subject of political, legal, economic and social struggles. In order to reflect upon the consequences of these struggles, this article discusses the process of inventory of cultural references related to the Porongos Massacre, an event of the Farroupilha's Revolution (1835-1845). These cultural references are serving in the configuration of black people's and gauchos identities. According to the authors, althought relating to the "intangible heritage", the process of inventory has enabled the fabrication of a "body" (text and images) and the definition of "places" (from memory) from which the cultural references so-called "non-material" come subscribe.
cultural heritage; inventory of cultural references; material culture; Porongos Massacre