US-focused Resolution Copper has provided $54-million to establish the Resolution Copper Tribal Trust, a perpetual endowment that will deliver yearly funding to 11 Tribal Nations located in Arizona and New Mexico for cultural preservation, education, youth development, workforce opportunities, language revitalisation and other priorities they determine.

The trust was created following years of government-to-government consultation, cultural resource studies, fieldwork and dialogue surrounding the Resolution Copper project.

Structured as a perpetual endowment, the trust will provide yearly distributions to participating Tribal Nations while preserving the principal investment for future generations.

Each participating Tribal Nation will determine independently how its funding is to be used based on its own priorities, laws and decision-making processes.

Colorado School of Mines Payne Institute Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty Programme director Richard Luarkie says the trust reflects what is possible when consultation leads to sustained collaboration.

“This effort demonstrates what can be accomplished when Tribal Nations and industry commit to listening to one another over time. The consultation process produced more than changes to a project; it strengthened relationships built on communication, respect and shared understanding. Those relationships create opportunities that will benefit future generations while providing a model for how Tribes and industry can work together,” he avers.

Pueblo of Zuni member and Zuni Cultural Resources Advisory Team leader Octavius Seowtewa says the consultation process demonstrated that Tribal voices could shape project decisions while protecting what matters most.

“No Tribal Nation wants to see unnecessary impacts to places that carry deep cultural, spiritual and ancestral significance. Throughout this process, our responsibility has been to protect those places while ensuring our voices are part of the decisions being made.

“The many changes incorporated into the project demonstrate that consultation can produce meaningful results. While we have not agreed on every aspect of the project, we found common ground that respects our connection to the land while creating opportunities that can benefit future generations,” he explains.

During the US Forest Service’s preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for implementation of the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange, Tribal leaders, cultural practitioners and technical experts provided recommendations that helped shape the mine plan and project design.

Resolution Copper says it incorporated recommendations from Tribal Nations to reduce impacts on cultural resources and recognise their historical and ancestral connections to the surrounding landscape.

The consultation process also contributed to measures intended to protect culturally significant places, including the permanent protection of Apache Leap.

The trust will be administered independently by Pinnacle Bank, a tribally-owned financial institution.

An advisory board will guide initial funding decisions and yearly distributions.

Participating Tribal Nations will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively to develop a long-term governance structure reflecting Tribal priorities and self-determination.

The Resolution Copper project is a proposed underground copper mine near Phoenix, Arizona, and is a joint venture between diversified majors Rio Tinto, with a 55% stake, and BHP, with a 45% stake. Over an expected mine life of up to 40 years, the project is anticipated to produce up to 40-billion pounds of copper.