Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest lashed by Indigenous elder at his own media event

Australia’s richest man Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest has copped criticism by an Indigenous elder at his own company’s media event.

An Aboriginal elder has used a Welcome to Country to criticise Andrew Forrest for his company Fortescue’s relations with Indigenous Australians.

Speaking at a press event for Fortescue’s Iron Bridge project, Aunty Doris Mitchell-Eaton, a Nyamal elder, used her platform to accuse the mining company of belittling Indigenous people and not offering them opportunities.

“Welcome to this lovely place that’s getting destroyed. Our country. So beautiful,” she said in a video published by the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Aunty Doris Mitchell-Eaton addressing media at Fortescue’s Iron Bridge site. Picture: Supplied.

“We negotiated with FMG to mine this place. But, you know, us Aboriginal people, people think we’re illiterate, don’t know nothing.”

She said Fortescue’s consultations with First Nations people in the Pilbara region during the opening stages of the $6 billion iron ore mine made promises that were not delivered.

“I’m standing here as a proud Nyamal. It hurts my feelings to see people coming here and digging our country, when we haven’t got opportunities.

“We’ve been told we don’t have any capability. How can we build our capability? (By giving) us the opportunity to build that capability, to mine our own country. That didn’t happen.”

She issued a challenge to Andrew Forrest to meet and negotiate greater involvement with Indigenous communities.

“FMG used to come and knock us back (over) capability … Give us the opportunity to dig in our country.

“I hope we get our opportunity, and I’m going to challenge Andrew Forrest with that capability. I want to set a meeting with you, Andrew.”

Fortescue Metals Group chairman Andrew Forrest is the latest mining magnate to come under fire over his company’s relations with Indigenous Australians. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Mr Forrest, however, said he would stick with his existing commitments.

“Aunty Doris, you’ve known me for 40 years. We don’t need another meeting, we’ll stick to what we agreed,” he said.

The billionaire mining magnate said the statements had been pre-planned, telling gathered media it was a message for “bureaucrats” stopping Aboriginal people from “driving their own independence”.

“I really hope everyone heard Aunty Doris. Aunty Doris told me she wanted to tell that story, and I was only too pleased, because that’s the raw future of Aboriginal people,” he said.

Originally published as Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest lashed by Indigenous elder at his own media event