Book Prize Carsten Wergin wins prestigious Nelson Graburn Book Prize
Associate Professor Dr. Carsten Wergin has been awarded the 2025 Nelson Graburn Book Prize by the Council on Heritage and the Anthropology of Tourism (CHAT), a section of the American Anthropological Association. Dr. Wergin receives this distinguished honor for his acclaimed monograph: Tourism, Indigeneity, and the Importance of Place: Fighting for Heritage at Australia’s Last Frontier (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023).
The award recognizes outstanding scholarship at the intersection of tourism, heritage, and anthropology—areas in which Dr. Wergin’s work has been widely noted for its depth, innovation, and ethical engagement. Drawing on years of collaborative research with indigenous communities in Northwest Australia, the book examines how heritage, ecology, and local sovereignty converge in struggles over land, development, and the future of place.
At the HCTS, Dr. Wergin’s research and teaching explore transcultural entanglements, Indigenous-led heritage initiatives, and the politics of environmental futures. This prize highlights his significant contribution to global debates on tourism, decolonization, and ecological responsibility.