an iron ore mine in Western Australia. Although the mining giant had received ministerial consent to destroy or damage the site, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people say the company broke their trust by doing so. This has been acknowledged by Rio Tinto, which says it “fell far short of our values as a company and breached the trust placed in us by the Traditional Owners of the lands”. Accordingly, the miner is now looking to repair the broken trust of these Indigenous communities and has taken its first step towards this goal.
The traditional of Juukan Gorge, the rock shelters which were destroyed two years ago, have signed a preliminary agreement with Rio Tinto to co-manage land, where the latter continues to carryout mining operations for iron ore. Following the incident in May 2020, the land’s traditional owners have demanded that be given a co-management role over the mines which fall within their native title area. Accordingly, they believe that signing of the preliminary agreement was the first step in rebuilding that relationship.
“This agreement provides clear acknowledgment that Rio Tinto accepts that the destruction of the rock shelters should not have happened and makes clear that it is absolutely committed to listening, learning, changing and co-managing country,” Burchall Hayes, chairman of the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation, said in a statement. “While the agreement is non-binding, we believe it is a clear signal of intent from Rio Tinto and one that will ultimately be tested in the co-management agreement that is reached.”
According to Rio Tinto’s iron ore chief executive, Simon Trott, the miner continues to reflect on the “loss and hurt that we caused at Juukan Gorge”, describing it as a “clear breach of our values”. “The PKKP people have graciously shared their knowledge to help inform our approach to best practice management and protection of cultural heritage as well as how we can deliver better social and economic outcomes on the ground,” he said. “Our discussions on these matters continue as we work to create a shared future.”
