A 46,000-Year-Old Site Of Indigenous Australian Culture Was Just Destroyed By A Mining Blast

By David Adams
27/05/2020

Culturally significant rock shelters in the Pilbara, which showed evidence of Indigenous Australian society dating back some 46,000 years, were destroyed on Sunday by mining giant Rio Tinto.


ABC reports the company executed a series of legal excavation blasts in the Juukan Gorge, some 60 kilometres north-west of Mount Tom Price in Western Australia.

In a statement obtained by the ABC, a Rio Tinto spokesperson said the company obtained ministerial consent to excavate in the region back in 2013, in connection to the region’s Brockman 4 iron ore mine.

The company avoids blasting near cultural sites “where practicable,” the spokesperson added.

But Puutu Kunti Kurrama traditional owners say the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters was a devastating loss, and questioned the process under which the blasts were approved.

More:
https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/pilbara-indegenous-culture-gorge-destroyed/

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27 MAY 2020 - 11:26AM
One of the country’s oldest Aboriginal heritage sites destroyed by mining blast



An Aboriginal heritage site in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, which provided insight to the earliest human population that inhabited the western Hamersley Plateau, has been destroyed by mining blasts.
By Rangi Hirini
Source: NITV News27 MAY 2020 - 11:26 AM UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO

Ancient Aboriginal heritage sites have been destroyed before the rock shelter’s full history could be uncovered, after mining company, Rio Tinto was granted legal permission to blast the more than 46,000-year-old site.

On Sunday, Rio Tinto blasted an area belonging to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Traditional Owners at the Juukan Gorge, 60 kilometres north-west of Tom Price in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, as part of its mining operations.

Puutu Kunti Kurrama Land Committee Chair John Ashburton said Traditional Owners had only found out about the destroyed site on May 15 as TOs wanted to use the site during NAIDOC week.

“Our people are deeply troubled and saddened by the destruction of these rock shelters and are grieving the loss of connection to our ancestors as well as our land,” Mr Ashburton said in a statement.

More:
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2020/05/27/one-countrys-oldest-aboriginal-heritage-sites-destroyed-mining-blast

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Pilbara mining blast confirmed to have destroyed 46,000yo sites of 'staggering' significance
ABC Pilbara / By Michelle Stanley and Kelly Gudgeon
Posted Yesterday, updated Yesterday

"Deeply troubled" traditional owners in the western Pilbara have had their worst fears confirmed after Rio Tinto detonated explosives near culturally significant sites dating back more than 46,000 years.

A Rio Tinto spokesperson said blasting in Juukan Gorge occurred over the weekend, and on Tuesday the company confirmed its ancient rock shelters were destroyed.

"In 2013, Ministerial consent was granted to allow Rio Tinto to conduct activity at the Brockman 4 mine that would impact Juukan 1 and Juukan 2 rock shelters," the spokesperson said.

"[Rio Tinto] has, where practicable, modified its operations to avoid heritage impacts and to protect places of cultural significance to the group."

Puutu Kunti Kurrama (PKK) traditional owners said the mining giant had detonated charges in an area of the Juukan Gorge, about 60 kilometres north-west of Tom Price, and feared two ancient, deep time rock shelters would be "decimated" in the blasts.

More:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/rio-tinto-blast-destroys-area-with-ancient-aboriginal-heritage/12286652