Rio Tinto a ‘guest’ on Indigenous land

The decision is aimed to influence decision making within the company, following consultation with Traditional Owners and Indigenous leaders.

This comes as Rio Tinto started work to re-define the best practice for cultural heritage management in the mining sector.

These initiatives will be presented in virtual seminars, depicting the actions Rio Tinto is introducing to regain the trust of the Traditional Owners.

Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said the company had a long way to go.

“We have reflected a great deal as a company and leadership team over recent months – listening, learning and responding by taking actions to better manage Traditional Owner partnerships and cultural heritage aspects of our business,” Stausholm said.

“One thing is clear – building meaningful and trusting relationships is fundamental. And that starts with Traditional Owners.

“We must focus on real engagement with our communities, understanding their felt experience and never forgetting that, ultimately, we are guests on their land.

“And, as guests, we must respect our hosts and work with them to understand their priorities and concerns and minimise our impacts.”

Rio Tinto has also committed to disclosing key details around its review process including the progress against its commitments and recommendations; consideration of the perspectives of Traditional Owners; and how it is advocating for others to follow in their footsteps.

Reporting on these issues will begin in the third quarter of 2021.

Stausholm recognised the ultimately fleeting nature of businesses big and small.

“We also must remember that our stay is temporary. We need to ensure we leave a positive legacy. This is essential to our business. We are committed to doing the right thing and working with our hosts to earn the right to be a trusted partner once more,” Stausholm said.