This article has as a starting thought the understanding that Brazilian public cultural policies have been gaining prominence over the past few years. In this context, some questions arise, such as: What does the state consider as legit "National Culture"? How is heritage understood in the perspective of cultural policy? They have been necessary to understand the management of cultural programs focused on ownership. In that sense, this research aims to do a historical research on Brazilian public cultural policies concerning ownership, from the creation of Iphan to the implementation of the National Immaterial Heritage Program (NIHP) in 2000, causing a change in the comprehension over national heritage. The discussion starts from the analysis of the discourses of actors involved in the implementation of the protection of immaterial assets.
public cultural policies; heritage; intangible heritage; National Immaterial Heritage Program