Closing the climb: refusal or reconciliation in Ulu r u-Kata Tju t a National Park?

The permanent closure of the Uluru Climb in Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Australia, marked a significant shift in reconciliation efforts between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. The decision, made by the Anangu Board of Management, sparked diverse reactions from visitors, reflecting ongoing colonial discourses around nationalism and individual rights. Through qualitative research involving two fieldwork periods (2012 and 2019), the study identified emotional responses such as ownership, empathy, and shame among visitors, which hold potential for transforming perspectives on cultural restrictions and reconciliation. The research underscores the importance of relational ethics in fostering affective change, offering insights into the complexities of reconciliation within settler-colonial contexts.

Whittington, V., & Waterton, E. (2021). Closing the climb: refusal or reconciliation in Ulu r u-Kata Tju t a National Park? Settler Colonial Studies, 11(4), 553–572. https://doi.org/10.1080/2201473x.2021.2007749