Location
Australia
Earlier this year, our Northparkes Operations was honoured to work with and learn from the Traditional Owners from the Peak Hill Local Aboriginal Land Council (PHLALC) in the first repatriation of cultural heritage artefacts found on site. Northparkes maintains ongoing and proactive engagement with Traditional Owners to ensure the management of cultural heritage is aligned with their preferences and aspirations over time.
In line with this engagement and feedback, artefacts previously stored on site or moved for protection from future mining activities were returned to Country. The placement was chosen by the PHLALC. The deeply moving event included a smoking ceremony, cultural dancing and smoking the artefacts before they were placed in the chosen location. Regular consultation with our Traditional Owners and archaeologists was held to ensure it was done in a culturally safe way.
General Manager Northparkes Operations, Thomas Lethbridge reflected, “As a mining operation we are acutely aware that the ground we work on holds far more than resources. It holds stories, history and deep cultural significance that stretch back tens of thousands of years. That is something we actively respect.
“The artefacts we repatriated are part of a living culture. They carry meaning, identity, and connection – to people, to Country and to generations past and future. This repatriation reflects our commitment to working in genuine partnership with our Traditional Owners. Not just in words, but in actions. It is about listening, learning and ensuring that respect for cultural heritage is embedded in everything we do.”
The event, and associated Traditional Owner engagement, has been discussed in networks across Evolution as a shared learning for informed, culturally sensitive and consultation-driven cultural heritage management.
