Sustaining indigenous geographies through world heritage: a study of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park

In this article, the author will argue that development of theUlur ̄ u-Kata Tjut ̄ a nomination dossier involved collaborations between multiple actors, involved the recognition of indigenous knowledge systems, and resulted in the co-creation of hybrid mapping representations. This empirical research examines data sources like World Heritage dossiers and state/UNESCO correspondence letters held at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre archives in Paris, France and cultural site dossiers archived at the International Council on Memorials and Sites (ICOMOS) in Charentonle-Pont, France. Actor-network theory informs this research and will act as a heuristic tool for collection, organizing, and analyzing the archival documents. A framework called postcolonial centers of calculation will be introduced to untangle technoscientific processes associated with World Heritage nomination documents. A case study of the Ulur ̄ uKata Tjut ̄ a nomination dossier reveals historical cycles of accumulation geographic information around Ulur ̄ u-Kata Tjut ̄ a, a strong network of indigenous and state collaborations, and the creation of hybrid geographic representations. The discussion and conclusion section relate this research to sustainability science and indigenous geographies, and suggest future research directions.