© Provided by The GuardianPhotograph: PKKP Aboriginal Corporation/AFP/Getty Images
The traditional Aboriginal owners of Juukan Gorge, which mining giant Rio Tinto knowingly destroyed in order to access higher-grade iron ore, say they are reluctant to continue dealing with the company, accusing it of reneging on a key promise it made to rebuild their shattered relationship.
In a letter to the company seen by Guardian Australia, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples (PKKP) say they learned of an executive reshuffle only through media reports and accused Rio Tinto of breaking a promise that iron ore boss Ivan Vella would be personally responsible for repairing trust.
The PKKP say that for "consistency and balance" they had specifically asked for Vella to work with them, and at a meeting in November this was given "unequivocal" support by the chairman of the Rio Tinto board, Simon Thompson.
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"We were thus shocked and surprised to hear via the media on Thursday morning that Mr Vella is being transferred to Montreal and Mr [Simon] Trott will fill the position of CEO Iron Ore, as two of a number of senior management changes," PKKP Aboriginal corporation's acting executive, Grant Wilson, wrote in the 2 February letter.
© Photograph: PKKP Aboriginal Corporation/AFP/Getty ImagesThe 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge site in Western Australia after Rio Tinto blasted it in May 2020, prompting international anger.
Wilson said that after the meeting, many within the PKKP "retained deep-seated skepticism" about whether Rio Tinto was genuine in its desire to restore trust.
However, "others in the group who staked much of their own personal credibility on making a case for reconciliation and trust" prevailed, he said.
"Through Ivan Vella and team, PKKP believed commitments to progress were beginning, but now PKKP is left to consider how it will respond to this latest in many disappointments, and whether trust in Rio Tinto can ever be realised.
"PKKP is reluctant to participate in a relationship of this nature any longer, and I hope you understand that other stakeholders may take a similar approach."
Rio Tinto's destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in May 2020 caused international furore, prompted a federal parliamentary inquiry and saw the removal of three top executives, including the global boss, Jean Sebastien-Jaques.
Last week Rio Tinto's board announced a new executive structure - which Aboriginal native title groups described as "PR spin" they were not confident would lead to "meaningful change".
When contacted by Guardian Australia, the PKKP Aboriginal corporation said it had been in contact with Rio Tinto recently but "would not comment on the specific nature of any correspondence or discussions".
Rio Tinto says rebuilding the relationship with the PKKP remains a priority.
A company spokesperson said: "We value an honest and open dialogue with the PKKP as this is critical to all enduring relationships. Rightly, the relationship with all traditional owners in the Pilbara, including the PKKP, is led by the chief executive of the iron ore business. We are confident that ongoing engagement with the PKKP will help maintain the momentum built over recent months."
Related: Rio Tinto addresses 'hurt and devastation' of Juukan Gorge blast as remedial works begin
But the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility accused Rio Tinto of making an "elementary and entirely avoidable blunder", which the PKKP could reasonably see as evidence that "the company still views its relationship with traditional owners as an afterthought".
"Thompson has just personally made the task of restoring trust and good relations with the PKKP much harder for responsible Rio Tinto staff," the centre's general counsel, James Fitzgerald, said.
"Sadly, it now appears to fall on the PKKP themselves to deliver a masterclass in respect and good community relations practice to the company's top leadership. Meanwhile, Indigenous groups around the world watch on with interest."
The $52bn superannuation fund Hesta, which has been a leading critic of the company among institutional investors, said last week that the reshuffle could help the company change its governance and culture.
"Companies that fail to negotiate fairly and in good faith with Indigenous communities represent a clear systemic risk to investors," Hesta's chief executive, Debby Blakey, said.
Rio's progress on improving its governance and culture would "inform our share voting at Rio's AGM in May", Blakey said.