Just over five years after Rio Tinto destroyed sacred sites at Juukan Gorge in WA’s Pilbara region, the area’s traditional owners have signed a new deal with the mining giant. The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto announced the deal, which governs the company’s iron ore operations on PKKP lands, on Monday morning.
In a statement, the corporation says the deal gives traditional owners a “much greater say” about what happens on their country. It comes after years of tense relations between the PKKP people and Rio Tinto in the wake of the destruction of 47,000-year-old rock shelters.
The new agreement appears to be a turning point, including commitments for both parties to work together at all stages of mining, which PKKP Aboriginal Corporation CEO Grant Wilson has described as groundbreaking and innovative.
For the rest of this article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-02/rio-tinto-pkkp-aboriginal-corporation-sign-agreement/105365876