The Legacy of the Destruction of Juukan Gorge in Australia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Juukan Gorge: The Story of Destruction, Excavation and Rebuilding" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

On the 24th of May 2020, mining company Rio Tinto destroyed significant rockshelters at Juukan Gorge, in the western Hamersley Range of Western Australia’s Pilbara Region, as part of its iron ore operations. This event had devastating consequences for the Puutu Kunti Kurrama People, who have now lost one of their most important cultural sites. The destruction also had an impact on the heritage and mining industry in Western Australia. The fallout from the blast sent shockwaves around the world. The event attracted global media attention, and condemnation from across the political spectrum. Many asked the question “how could this happen?” The answer was apparent to those of us who operate within the framework of Western Australia’s outdated and industry-favoring heritage legislation. Everything from government policy to industry practice and (sometimes) the representation of Indigenous representative bodies was predicated on the assumption that an approval to impact a site will pass without issue, regardless of significance—as State priorities for mining benefits tended to trump heritage protection. Following the destruction of Juukan Gorge, we talk about the fallout, both from the perspective of PKK Traditional Owners, and from a heritage management perspective.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Juukan Gorge: The Story of Destruction, Excavation and Rebuilding   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39165.0