The traditional owners of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters have signed an a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fortescue Metals Group.
The MoU between the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) Aboriginal Corporation and Fortescue aims to develop a co-management model that will apply to Fortescue’s existing and future projects on Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura lands.
In May 2020, Rio Tinto was searching for iron ore when it blasted two rock shelters, despite traditional owners of the land warning the major miner of the site’s significance. Rio Tinto received ministerial consent for the blast in 2013.
Since then, Rio Tinto has aimed to increase transparency around its approach to cultural heritage protection and PKKP have committed to a co-management process of country with mining companies.
As a result, the MoU between Fortescue and the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation will pave the way for joint management of current and future mines in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
PKKP Aboriginal Corporation chairman Terry Drage said the PKKP community believed that co-management is the strongest mechanism to protect their rights, interests, culture, tradition and way of life when it comes to mining and development on country.
“The model we are negotiating ensures respect, open communication and involvement for the PKKP in all stages of projects while setting out the expectations and responsibilities for both Fortescue and our corporation as the representative body,” Drage said.
“We understand the importance of certainty of mining outcomes for Fortescue, equally for the PKKP, we need certainty of protection for our cultural heritage, our strong and active role in ensuring that occurs, plus guaranteed access to our country.
“These are just some of the key points that reflect true co-management. This is an important step and to have a formal signing ceremony during NAIDOC Week on our country has great significance for the PKKP community.”
