Sadly, this is a familiar story: the wealth and power of the resources industry overshadowing traditional land owners.
Last month, media reports came too late, as a rock shelter in Juukan Gorge was blown up by Rio Tinto on 24 May, at the Brockman 4 iron ore mine in the Pilbara region.
University of London archaeologist and anthropologist Dr Lawrence Owens told Mining Technology: ‘There is no other way of putting this – the destruction of Juukan Gorge cave was a travesty and a disgrace. It is difficult to fully express the magnitude of what this site was, what it meant, and how its destruction has impacted upon us all.’
