A Momentous Win For The Indigenous Anangu People of Australia

Visitors walk around the base of Uluru on the base walk trail on Nov. 27, 2013 in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia. Uluru/ Ayers Rock is a large sandstone formation situated in central Australia approximately 335km from Alice Springs. The site and its surrounding area is scared to the Anangu people, the Indigenous people of this area and is visited by over 250,000 people each year. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

A historic decision to ban tourists from climbing Uluru (Ayres Rock) in Australia—an activity considered disrespectful by its traditional owners—was announced on November 1.

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board, made up of a majority of Aboriginal traditional owners, unanimously voted to ban climbers from the popular Australian tourist attraction from Oct. 26, 2019.