During the week (May 27 to June 3) the resort will also unveil new guest protocols that have been developed by Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara Traditional Owners, the Anangu, to guide visitors on how to meaningfully engage with them and their culture.
The guidelines will support culturally respectful engagement by encouraging visitors to:
- Walk gently on Ngura (Country): Honour sacred sites and stay on marked tracks
- Support Waltja (Family): Respect privacy and uplift local families by engaging with Aboriginal-run art centres
- Speak Wangka (Language): Learn and use simple Pitjantjatjara or Yankunytjatjara phrases like “Palya”
- Listen to Tjukurpa (Stories & Law): Embrace ancient stories shared through experiences like Wintjiri Wiru
- Celebrate Inma (Ceremony): Witness living culture through song, performance, and tradition
This year’s theme, “Bridging Now to Next,” highlights the essential link between past, present and future, urging all Australians to walk together towards a more unified tomorrow.
The week’s programming reflects this theme by offering guests opportunities to engage with First Nations voices, history and living traditions of Anangu.
A centrepiece of the program is The Road to Punu exhibition at the Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA).
Open from today (May 27), the exhibition will celebrate 40 years of Maruku Arts by showcasing a collection of wood carvings (punu) that are drawn from Central Australia and Western Desert regions.
Throughout Reconciliation Week, interactive displays and installations across the resort’s Town Square will offer historical insights into key moments of Australia’s reconciliation journey, encouraging guests to reflect and connect.
Main picture: Wood Snakes by Billy Cooley/Maruku Arts
https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/national-reconciliation-week
