The Role of Accountability in Preserving Spirituality and Nature: The Case of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

This study focuses on the role of joint management and accountability in preserving the nature and spirituality of Uluru, a sacral site for Australian Aboriginal people. The analysed case study concerns Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a national park and tourist destination located in Australia that is land legally owned by local Aboriginal people. Aborigines have common spiritual affiliations to a site on the land and a primary spiritual responsibility for Uluru-Kata Tjuta. Particular attention is placed on the development of a joint management model used by the park, which sees Aboriginal people managing the park jointly with the Australian Government, and on the Uluru climbing ban, which refers to the decision to prohibit park visitors from climbing Uluru, a monolith sacred to Aboriginal people. The research method employed was based on the collection of data from a variety of sources, such as newspaper articles, academic articles, official websites and reports of the Australian Government and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, news interviews, Aboriginal organisation websites and an in-depth interview with the Visitors and Tourism Services Manager of the park. Results underline how accountability tools and joint management, if properly employed, can enhance the preservation of nature and the spirituality of the Aboriginal sites and Aboriginal people who respect and revere those sites.