The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Philip Ruddock says Australia's greatest treasure is arguably its indigenous peoples and their cultures.

Mr Ruddock made the comment this weekend as he handed back to Aboriginal traditional owners more than 500 hectares of land at a ceremony at Hermannsburg in central Australia.

He also travelled to Uluru to meet that area's traditional owners and visit the school they have set up for their children.

Mr Ruddock says half the tourists who visit Uluru are from interstate and the rest are from overseas.

"They're coming to see in large part - not physical attributes - but also to experience indigenous culture and you've got art and ceremonies and the attachment of land that indigenous people are able to speak of themselves," he said.