The Juukan Gorge Incident: Key Lessons on Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Abstract

On 24 May 2020, Rio Tinto detonated an area of the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara in Western Australia as part of its iron ore mining operations, damaging two ancient rock shelters with profound cultural significance to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) People. The incident has brought international attention to the importance of Indigenous cultural heritage within broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Cambridge University Press.