Minmetals Resources Limited 2011 Sustainability Report (PDF)

CASE STUDY: Unearthing “Cultural Gold” at SeponIn 2011, Sepon increased its initiatives to understand community customs, beliefs and traditions andpreserve local cultural heritage.As part of Sepon’s cultural heritage program, in 2011, an intangible cultural heritage survey was undertaken, capturingthe rich oral history, songs, music and religious expression of the local villages. Meanwhile, Sepon’s management oftangible cultural heritage finds and preservation resulted in the discovery of a second significant ceremonial copper drumfound by local villagers. Plans for a Cultural Heritage Centre were also confirmed, where the drum will be displayed.Intangible cultural heritage surveyVillagers’ traditional music and song performances have been captured in a unique video record.Led by eminent anthropologist, James R. Chamberlain, the intangible heritage survey videoed 232 local villagers’music and song performances from across ten Brou (Mon-Khmer-speaking ethnic Makong and Tri groups) and11 Phou Thay (localised Lao-speaking ethnic group) villages. It provides a unique record of Lao culture and laysthe groundwork for the Cultural Heritage Centre, being built in Vilabouly by the end of 2012. Oral genres werecategorised as stories and tales; ethno-history; legends of place; and singing and music. For example:Brou singing and music: tamprɔɔy is a form used mainly in courting or entertaining encounters between menand women.Phou Thay singing and music: sung forms, known only as Lam Phou Thay Nyay and Lam Phou Thay Noy, aregenerally performed purely for entertainment during festivals (boun). The former type is slower and more drawnout, while the latter is faster. Both involve back-and-forth witty dialogue between men and women.Brou religious expression: yau refers to spiritual healing and involves inviting spirits to descend and healafflicted persons. The ceremony is conducted in combined sa’ɛɛŋ and san ɤɤsung styles accompanied by the fluteplayed in a sombre mode. san ɤɤkuun is rare and highly restricted in its usage to invite specific spirits by name forspecific ailments to partake of food being offered.A new cultural heritage centreBy the end of 2012, local communities and visitors will benefit from a new place of learning that willdisplay the region’s mining and cultural history.Sepon is operating on an ancient mine site, with evidence that mining occurred as long as 3,000 years ago. Thisinspired the idea to build a Cultural Heritage Centre in partnership with the Government of Laos and James CookUniversity of Australia. The centre will be a place of community learning, visitor reception and display of objects ofoutstanding cultural value for communities local to the mine. The conceptual design was completed in 2011 and thedesign and build contract will be awarded locally in March 2012, with a view to opening the centre by the end of2012. Two initial district meetings were held in 2011 and a District Steering Committee set up, involving MMG, thedistrict and provincial governments and the Ministry of Information and Culture.The ceremonial copper drum found by villagers.An archaeological dig.50