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Bridging Cultures - Mount Isa Indigenous Awareness Course

A groundbreaking Indigenous Awareness Course recently developed at Mount Isa provides employees with a greater awareness and appreciation of Australia’s indigenous cultures. Around 4% of Mount Isa’s employees are of indigenous Australian heritage. The Mount Isa Indigenous Awareness course covers a number of key areas including historical and contemporary issues, myths and stereotypes, Native Title, and indigenous cultural heritage management and protection. The course also improves employee awareness of company initiatives like the indigenous employment and training programme operated with the MIGATE Group. The course includes participation by a number of prominent indigenous community representatives who spend the day with employees sharing experiences and talking about their work in the Mount Isa community.

Mount Isa has become well known for its unique indigenous affairs initiatives within the local community. These include organising school visits by indigenous cultural acts and inviting a contingent of Torres Strait Islander dancers from Murray Island to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Mabo High Court decision. The Company also continues to work in close association with the Kalkadoon people and other native title claimant groups in the north-west Queensland region.