Indigenous leader ‘silenced’ after mining company ordered him to delete his video about welfare dependency

An Indigenous leader has claimed he was ordered by a mining company to remove a social media post about his upbringing and the issue of welfare dependency because he mentioned a talk he had given at one of their sites.

Roy Ah-See, a Wiradjuri Elder and former chairman of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, published a video on social media for NAIDOC Week. 

He talked about some of the challenges facing the Indigenous community in Australia.

‘They say the biggest killer of Aboriginal people is alcohol, gambling and drugs,’ he said.

‘I beg to differ. From my experience it’s absolute poverty and welfare dependency that’s the scourge on our community.’

Mr Ah-See briefly referenced his visit to Newmont Cadia Operations’ site near Orange, where he had been invited to speak about his life experiences earlier that week. 

Despite the positive feedback he received from the talk, Mr Ah-See said the company later contacted him and asked him to remove the video from social media. 

‘I was a bit taken aback,’ Mr Ah-See told 2GB Breakfast host Ben Fordham on Wednesday.

The Wiradjuri Elder said he referenced a talk he gave at a mining company Newmont Cadia Operations’ site near Orange before the business allegedly asked him to remove the video

Mr Ah-See said he was taken aback by the phone call 

‘I came through that scourge of welfare dependency and absolute poverty, so I know what it’s like to live in a place where there is no hope, there is no opportunity. 

‘That’s why I went and spoke on NAIDOC Day to this company, who told me to share my story of strength and hope. I did that and they loved it … The feedback was unreal.’

Fordham asked Mr Ah-See how he reacted when Newmont contacted him about the video. 

‘At first, I couldn’t believe it, but I knew where it was coming from,’ he said, adding there had been pushback from one of Newmont’s business partners.

‘The issue wasn’t the post, it was the process.

‘When you’ve got self-appointed people … [who] think they’re above the law and they don’t have to answer to anybody, then they intimidate corporates and companies.

‘I don’t blame Newmont for taking that course of action, but they really need to bite the bullet and not be bullied by people.

‘There’s processes and [they need to say], “We’re going to move forward. That includes engaging with First Nations people because it’s really important”.’

Fordham said he would always support someone who offers ‘straight talk’ and promoted the interview, saying ‘an Indigenous leader is being silenced’.

Newmont Corporation, one of the world’s largest gold mining company, issued a statement to Daily Mail Australia in response to Mr Ah-See’s claims.

‘As is standard practice, Newmont requires prior approval before content relating to its operations is published,’ the statement said.

‘In this instance, the matter was raised through the relevant business partner, and the post was subsequently removed.

‘Newmont Cadia continues to work closely with its Registered Aboriginal Party, the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council.’