Multinational mining giant Glencore1 is in lockstep with Rio Tinto’s disgraceful playbook of cultural vandalism —the destruction of Juukan Gorge.
A damning new report has found that twenty two sites sacred to the Gudanji and Yanyuwa peoples in the NT are earmarked for destruction with Gelncore’s expansion of the McArthur River Mine – the largest lead and zinc mine in the world. These plans have been recently rubber stamped by the NT government despite serious concern and opposition raised by the Traditional Owner groups over protection of irreplaceable cultural heritage.
It’s just one example of hundreds of cultural heritage and sacred sites that are under threat right across the country.
After pressure from Traditional Owners and GetUp members, the Federal Government has committed to expanding its Senate Inquiry into the destruction of Juukan Gorge to look at how this destruction is happening nationally. But we won’t have a final report until October.
While the report is being completed, mining corporations can’t be trusted to protect these sites. And without public pressure, the Morrison Government will take its time to implement these critical reforms. We need the government to put a stop to any new destructive projects before the report is released.
Last year was big. Traditional Owners have been leading the fight to make sure that our sites are protected. GetUp members like you stood in solidarity, took action, and made our voices heard. Together, we applied the pressure needed to make cultural heritage protection a national conversation. We made submissions, spoke to politicians, and even saw Rio Tinto’s disgraced CEO Jean-Sébastien Jacques forced out of his multi-million dollar job.
Thousands of GetUp members chipped in so that we could get legal advice from Greg McIntyre, S.C, Eddie Koiki Mabo’s lawyer. Now we know what we need to create a strong National Heritage Act:
This new law must be co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
The law must be a Federal law, not a state law to avoid confusion of who has the power
Investment in a review of all Aboriginal Heritage areas that would turn into a national register of sacred sites
Veto Power for Traditional Owners to refuse to permit development impacting on cultural heritage
Harsher penalties for corporations who destroy cultural heritage
The Minister for Indigenous Australians should be responsible, not the Environment Minister
Without these changes, we will never have meaningful cultural heritage legislation that works for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – not mining giants. We can’t afford to wait while corporations continue to desecrate our cultural heritage.
Our cultural heritage and songlines are the core of who we are as First Nations peoples. The destruction of our sacred sites robs us and future generations of the ability to read our country and connect to our ancestors’ footprints.
From Traditional Owners fighting to protect their songlines, sites and water in the NT from fracking, the Djab Wurrung2 in Victoria defending their ancestor trees along the Western Highway, First Nations cultural heritage must be protected no matter where it is.
In solidarity,
Larissa, Nicole, Amy and Edie for the GetUp team
All First Nations work at Getup is led by a team of campaigners from the Widjabul Wia-bul, Garawa, Gooreng Gooreng, Wiradjuri and Noongar nations.
References:
[1] New report finds sacred sites under threat due to McArthur River Mine, NITV. 8 February 2021.
[2] What do these sacred trees tell us about Aboriginal heritage in Australia?. SMH, 31 October 2020.
GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you’d like to contribute to help fund GetUp’s work, please donate now! Please note we’ve updated our privacy policy. If you do not wish to receive updates to drchryschrystello@gmail.com from GetUp, please unsubscribe. Our team acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. We wish to pay respect to Elders – past, present and emerging – and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.
