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Understanding the spirit of place
Archaeologist Ralph Mills takes a personal look at how Rio Tinto is facing up to the challenges of heritage across a wide variety of cultures.

In Bunjima Australian, "Gumala" is a word meaning "all together". Originally describing the co-operation of three indigenous language groups in negotiations with Hamersley Iron in the late 1990s, "gumala" could also encapsulate the concepts behind Rio Tinto's developing approach to the often thorny issues of heritage.

"Heritage" can refer to a vast array of objects and places. Those in Europe might see what remains from the past as massive lumps of masonry, great standing stones, museums filled with artefacts, mummies, suits of armour. In other parts of the world where Rio Tinto companies operate, heritage takes on many different forms, often tied to a group's connection to their land.

An almost subconscious inkling of what this connection might be is our love of "the countryside", enthusiasm for "the outdoors", our need to ramble or hike or camp, perhaps. Everyone is innately enveloped by their own cultures and the habits and behaviours learned in those contexts. This can make us blind to heritage that isn't obviously visible, and as a result we are often clumsy and potentially destructive (certainly in the recent past) of it.



Understanding the spirit of place Archaeologist Ralph Mills takes a personal look at how Rio Tinto is facing up to the challenges of heritage across a wide variety of cultures. In Bunjima Australian, "Gumala" is a word meaning "all together". Originally describing the co-operation of three indigenous language groups in negotiations with Hamersley Iron in the late 1990s, "gumala" could also encapsulate the concepts behind Rio Tinto's developing approach to the often thorny issues of heritage. "Heritage" can refer to a vast array of objects and places. Those in Europe might see what remains from the past as massive lumps of masonry, great standing stones, museums filled with artefacts, mummies, suits of armour. In other parts of the world where Rio Tinto companies operate, heritage takes on many different forms, often tied to a group's connection to their land. An almost subconscious inkling of what this connection might be is our love of "the countryside", enthusiasm for "the outdoors", our need to ramble or hike or camp, perhaps. Everyone is innately enveloped by their own cultures and the habits and behaviours learned in those contexts. This can make us blind to heritage that isn't obviously visible, and as a result we are often clumsy and potentially destructive (certainly in the recent past) of it.
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Review is published by Rio Tinto, 6 St James' Square, London SW1Y 4LD, England Telephone +44 (0)20 7930 2399 Editor: Cherry DeGeer