From Forest to Furnace: How Alcoa’s Aluminum Empire Fuels Environmental Harm

Four Noongar men worked together to lift a deceased kangaroo onto a limb, preparing it for skinning and gutting. Christopher Nannup, 28, deftly sliced pieces of meat from the animal, which would be shared with family and friends. His uncle, respected elder Franklin Nannup, expressed hopes for the meat's tenderness. Christopher and his nephews embody the Noongar's legacy, inhabiting Australia’s southwest for over 50,000 years. Recently, their corporation gained rights to the land where they hunted kangaroos and mullet fish, amidst pressures from Alcoa's expanding mining operations that threaten their ancestral ecosystem. Franklin Nannup staunchly opposes Alcoa’s plans, emphasizing the irreplaceable jarrah trees. This ongoing contest for land embodies the deeper narrative of colonization and environmental stewardship, a poignant struggle for the Noongar people.