Miranda Tapsell has given her two cents on the current controversy surrounding Uluru’s role in influencer content.
The First Nations actress, who is currently promoting her Top End Wedding sequel series, Top End Bub, expressed her disdain regarding the use of the World Heritage site as a backdrop for photoshoots.
Speaking on the Something To Talk About podcast, Miranda emphasised that many of the land’s traditional owners feel a deep sense of responsibility for those who visit.
‘Even if you don’t believe in the spirituality that surrounds the place, you are going to someone’s house,’ the 37-year-old said of the Northern Territory hotspot.
‘So you do have to have a certain respect about what you can photograph, especially if it’s a particular place where thousands of women have had babies, or where hundreds of men throughout the generations have danced.’
Adding that Uluru was a place of pride for the traditional owners, she said: ‘It’s just so straightforward and so not complicated.’
Miranda Tapsell (pictured) has given her two cents on the current controversy surrounding Uluru’s role in influencer content
The First Nations actress expressed her disdain regarding the use of the World Heritage site as a backdrop for photoshoots
It comes after several Aussie influencers came under fire following a sponsored trip to Uluru.
Bella Messina, Alyssa Jane, Jessica Thoday, Tyra Brooke, Ella Victoria, and Lily April Rose were invited by Explore Uluru to visit the Northern Territory and shared a series of photos from the trip on social media.
Now, the women are facing backlash for treating the sacred site as a backdrop and mere ‘prop’ for content.
‘They’re not paying respects to Elders, land, lore or culture… Uluru is not your content farm. Respect the mob, respect the land,’ one person wrote on Reddit.
‘The influencers on this trip have been so disrespectful, not sharing anything! When I visited Uluru, I felt deeply touched spiritually and loved having conversations with the local community to learn from their experiences and teachings,’ another said.
A third agreed: ‘Uluru isn’t a prop for white girls – it’s sacred land. This campaign is actually disrespectful and ignorant.’
‘Privileged white women taken on a brand trip to one of the most culturally significant places in the entire country,’ another commented.
Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is considered culturally sensitive because it has spiritual significance for Aboriginal people in the area, known as the Anangu.
Several Aussie influencers recently came under fire after they went on a sponsored trip to Uluru
Strict media guidelines apply at Uluru and Kata Tjuta, even for tourists sharing photos on personal accounts.
Huge parts of the rock have been declared off-limits to photography, while other areas require a permit. Fines of more than $5,000 apply.
One Indigenous woman rushed to the women’s defence and said all the footage would have been approved by the Media Office of the UKTNP.
‘Considering the goal is to boost tourism in the area, I am guessing the influencers that were invited on this particular occasion are what the company needed to reach a certain demographic,’ the woman wrote on Facebook.
‘Everyone has had a go at what they haven’t posted, not understanding that the Media Office of UKTNP have to go through every little bit of footage they have shot and give approval prior to them posting.
‘This can take days to complete considering how many influencers are on the trip.
‘What they have posted would have been cleared easily because they are filmed in areas that are deemed safe to capture the footage.’
