The Global Center for Indigenous Community Relations’ (“the Center”) purpose is to advocate for excellence in engagement with Indigenous Peoples, both within Newmont and across the industry. The Center aspires to be a respected source of dialogue, collected knowledge and shared experiences to improve Newmont’s practices and contribute to advancing the industry’s approach to engagement with Indigenous communities.

We recognize the connection between Indigenous Peoples and the land, and that mining can impact this connection. We are committed to learning from and improving upon our own experiences as well as those from across the mining industry. With the Center, we seek to form meaningful partnerships and create a dialogue in order to improve the outcomes for Indigenous communities around our mines, and act as a catalyst within the mining industry.– Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer

Where and How the Center Works

The scope of the Center is to advance dialogue on engaging Indigenous Peoples wherever and whenever there is an intersection between mining and Indigenous communities. The Center will lead, host and participate in a range of activities that promote knowledge sharing and network building for communities, industry, academia and civil society. 

The Advisory Council on Indigenous Community Relations

In 2020, the Newmont Board of Directors established the Advisory Council on Indigenous Community Relations (“the Council”). The Council provides support and advice to the Center as well as to the Board of Directors’ Safety and Sustainability Committee, and also promotes constructive dialogue between Newmont and Indigenous groups, often raising awareness on emerging issues. It currently has five external members. Their areas of expertise include Indigenous law and rights, community engagement and participation, Indigenous business development and governance. 

The Center’s Areas of Focus

The Center has three areas of focus to advance its objective of advocating for excellence in engagement with Indigenous Peoples, both within Newmont and across the mining industry. They are the Partnerships & Learning Network, Respect for Customs and Culture, and Opportunities for Indigenous Peoples.

Partnerships & Learning Network

Developing leading practices in Indigenous Peoples’ relations requires a partnership-based approach and a broad learning network. The Center will aim to establish relationships to leverage collective experiences and contribute to the broader international body of knowledge with the goal of supporting the growth of Indigenous community capacity to participate and lead engagement with the industry.

Working toward better engagement between Indigenous communities and the mining industry

  • The Center aims to foster capacity building that will create shared long-term value for Newmont, Indigenous communities and the industry.

  • The Center seeks to partner and network with Indigenous-led, mining industry–related and cross-sectoral organizations, with a goal of supporting the growth of Indigenous community capacity to participate in and lead engagement with the industry. An example of this is the RESOLVE FPIC Solutions Dialogue.

  • The Center has convened the Indigenous Peoples Working Group, a community of practice at Newmont that shares lessons learned and builds capacity at all levels of the organization.

Respect for Customs and Culture

Newmont has committed to meeting external standards for Indigenous Peoples’ engagement, such as the International Council on Mining and Metals’ (ICMM) Position Statement on Indigenous Peoples. In order to meet these commitments, we must start with a fundamental level of integrity. Respect for Indigenous Peoples’ customs and cultures is the foundation of engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities around mining operations.

Advocating for the respect of Indigenous communities’ rights, culture and aspirations

  • Newmont recognizes the unique connection between Indigenous Peoples and lands, and how mining can affect this connection in various challenging ways. The Center will be a platform to start building trust with Indigenous communities.

  • We recognize the individual and collective rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples in line with ILO 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We work to obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples, as reflected in the ICMM Position Statement, formalizing consent in agreements, where possible.

  • We are committed to understanding and respecting the cultural heritage, rights and norms of local communities. We will work in cooperation with Indigenous Peoples to manage cultural resources that fall within the area of influence of our operations on an ongoing basis.

  • The Center will work to demonstrate respect in practical ways:

    • First, through supporting cultural awareness training, recognizing cultural protocols, and actively promoting Indigenous Peoples’ culture, histories and achievements at all Newmont operations. The Center will support development of other means of acknowledging Indigenous cultures companywide and build awareness of specific Indigenous contexts where the Company operates.

    • Second, by participating in government-led reconciliation efforts in Australia and Canada, and supporting dialogue internally and externally on the history and remediation actions.

Opportunities for Indigenous Peoples

At Newmont, our purpose is to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining. Too often, Indigenous Peoples have experienced negative impacts of mining without being able to partake in the shared value. Newmont seeks to engage Indigenous Peoples where we operate in order to limit the impact on the community and facilitate their ability to partake in the shared value of the mine. The Center will focus on programming to build capacity and address systemic barriers so that Indigenous communities can participate equitably in the value created by the industry.

The Center will look for practical ways to implement Newmont’s value of inclusion so that Indigenous People have opportunities to participate in our workforce and supply chain and reap the shared value from mining.

  • The Center will focus on programming that builds capacity and addresses systemic barriers so that Indigenous Peoples can participate equitably in the value created by the industry.

  • Newmont has agreements with Indigenous Peoples in Australia, Canada, Suriname and the United States. The strength of the Company’s relationship with these groups manifests itself through the outcomes of these agreements, not simply from the agreements themselves. The ability to create and realize positive socio-economic outcomes with Indigenous Peoples and to measure them is extremely important when executing agreements. The Company has programs currently in place to promote training, education, employment and business development with Indigenous Peoples.

  • The Center will offer support and engagement for these programs and activities, and will provide opportunities for sharing best practices across our organization as well as with external stakeholders. There will also be the opportunity for research and development, skills transfer and university partnerships for education and training through scholarships and work-ready programs.

Connect with Us

Commonly Asked Questions

What Geographic Areas does the Center Focus on?

The Center’s scope is global in nature, seeking to advance dialogue on Indigenous Peoples engagement wherever there is an intersection between mining and Indigenous communities, with a specific focus on jurisdictions where Newmont operates. For a complete list of the Indigenous communities with whom we engage through our projects and operations, see our Sustainability Report.

What actions will the Center take?

The Center will lead, host and participate in a range of activities to implement its purpose of advancing and advocating for excellence in engagement with Indigenous Peoples, both within Newmont and across our industry. 

Who does the Center work with?

One of the Center’s focus areas is the Partnerships & Learning Network, and the Center aims to form networks by working with a broad range of individuals, groups and organizations. As part of our commitment for the Center, we will actively partner with civil society, Indigenous community representatives, academia, industry peers and business organizations, employees and governments. The Center participates in networks such as RESOLVE’s FPIC Solutions Dialogue and the Mining Association of Canada’s Indigenous Relations Committee. We coordinate Newmont’s Global Indigenous Peoples Working Group and are advised by the Advisory Council on Indigenous Community Relations, an advisory body to Newmont’s Board of Directors. We also encourage individuals and organizations interested in partnering with us, or starting a conversation on how to get involved, to get in touch at GCICR@newmont.com.


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Resources and Links

International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM) Position Statement on Indigenous Peoples

ICMM’s vision is to foster constructive relationships between mining and metals companies and Indigenous Peoples, based on mutual respect, meaningful engagement, trust and mutual benefit. Recognizing the potential vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples, the commitments in this Position Statement set out ICMM members’ approach to engaging with Indigenous Peoples and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

RESOLVE Free, Prior and Informed Consent Solutions Dialogue

The FPIC Solutions Dialogue is a multi-sector initiative to develop practical guidance to successful implementation of FPIC in community processes at extractive sector projects. The Dialogue focuses on real-world examples to examine challenges, exchange ideas, and distill good practices and guidance from site-based experiences to support the implementation of FPIC.

University of Queensland’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining’s Indigenous Peoples and Mining Resources Hub

UQ CSRM has created an e-library to provide a range of open-access resources that showcase leading practices around Indigenous participation in the extractive resources sector.

Newmont Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement Policy

This policy reflects both Newmont’s purpose to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining as well as our core sustainability values. The Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples sections outline our commitments to work with Indigenous Peoples on the management of cultural resources that are within the area of our operations; to work to obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples as reflected in ICMM’s Position Statement; to design programs that benefit Indigenous communities in a participatory manner; and to create an inclusive environment at our workplaces.

Newmont Indigenous Peoples Standard

Newmont recognizes the unique rights, culture, and history of Indigenous Peoples, and that they have distinct interests and concerns. We acknowledge and respect traditional landownership and uses. The Indigenous Peoples Standard is designed to complement and enhance our commitments, put forth both in Newmont’s Sustainability and External Relations Standards and Global Inclusion and Diversity Standard, by defining the minimum requirements to engage with Indigenous Peoples, come to agreement around project development, assess and manage potential impacts, and report our progress.

Newmont Cultural Heritage Standard

We are committed to understanding and respecting the cultural heritage, rights and norms of local communities. We will work in cooperation with Indigenous Peoples to manage cultural resources that fall within the area of influence of our operations on an ongoing basis. This standard sets the minimum requirements for the identification, protection and management of cultural resources within Newmont’s areas of influence so as to protect cultural resources and prevent unauthorized or undesired disturbance by Newmont employees and contractors.

Australian Reconciliation Action Plan


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