Mount Isa's mines celebrate our rich history during NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week is a celebration of Australia’s rich history, diverse cultures and the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as one of the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Held each year during the first week of July, this year’s NAIDOC theme of ‘For Our Elders’ provides an opportunity to highlight respect for Indigenous Elders and acknowledge their contribution made throughout the years.

To Indigenous Australians, the term ‘country’ refers to their traditional lands that includes the land, waters and sky. ‘Country’ is also a spiritual, physical, emotional, social and cultural connection that all of us have to the land we live on. Anne Williams, Manager - HSEC said NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for our employees to acknowledge First Nations peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land on which our operations are located and their connection with the Country.

“As a resources company operating on Kalkadoon Country, we have the utmost respect for the Traditional Owners, the Elders, Indigenous cultural heritage and the deep connections to Country. They have occupied and cared for this Country for more than 65,000 years, and their knowledge of Country is incredibly valuable,” Ms Williams said.

At Queensland Metals, we are proud to play our part in recognising and respecting cultural heritage. We value the contribution our Indigenous employees make to our company and the community. This year across our operations we held a range of events to commemorate NAIDOC week from 4-11 July 2023.

Many Mount Isa Mines employees also participated in the NAIDOC march, and enjoyed the festivities at the Mob FM Family Fun Day where Mount Isa Mines hosted a stall to attract interest in our Indigenous Employment Program.

Across every generation in First Nations Culture, Elders have, and will continue to play, an important and prominent role in families and the community. Glencore was privileged to celebrate NAIDOC week and to recognise Australia’s Indigenous Elders and their contributions towards forging a better quality of life for Indigenous Australians.

At Mount Isa Mines, barbeques were held at the Zinc-Lead Concentrator, Copper Mining operations and Copper Smelter which included a Welcome to Country from our Indigenous Employment Coordinator Clynton Munns, as well as several managers speaking on the importance of NAIDOC Week within our business. George Fisher Mine also celebrated, hosting a barbeque for all onsite staff to commemorate the occasion.

As well as celebrating onsite, Mount Isa Mines also had a presence in the Mount Isa community, including the longstanding sponsorship of the NAIDOC Elders Dinner, held each year with the aim of giving back to the elders of the Mount Isa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.