This book maps the encounters between Indigenous Peoples and local communities with mining companies in various postcolonial contexts.
Combining comparative and multidisciplinary analysis, the contributors to this volume shine a light on how the mining industry might adapt its practices to the political and legal contexts where they operate. Understanding these processes and how communities respond to these encounters is critical to documenting where and how encounters with mining may benefit or negatively impact Indigenous Peoples. The experiences and reflections shared by Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors will enhance our understanding of evolving practices and of the different strategies and discourses developed by Indigenous Peoples to deal with mining projects. By mobilizing in-depth fieldwork in five regions—Australia, Canada, Sweden, New Caledonia, and Brazil—this body of work highlights voices often marginalized in mining development studies, including those of Indigenous Peoples and women.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of mining and the extractive industries, sustainable development, natural resource management, and Indigenous Peoples.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Table of Contents:
Introduction Part 1: Indigenous Peoples, Law, and Politics 1. The space left for Indigenous Peoples’ voices in Canadian and Fennoscandian mining legal frameworks 2. Closure and connection: A Southwest Pacific reappraisal of the mining enclave 3. Foreign investor accountability for the violation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights in international investment law and arbitrations 4. Power relationships, institutions, and mining Part 2: Braiding Indigenous Views in the Mining Cycle 5. Indigenous Peoples’ relationships to large-scale mining in post/colonial contexts 6. Environmental assessment as a knowledge infrastructure 7. Realizing Indigenous rights: Effective implementation of agreements between Indigenous Peoples and the extractive industry 8. Comparative perspectives on the social aspects of mine closure and mine site transition in Canada and Australia Part 3: Navigating Relationships with Indigenous Communities 9. Understanding the silent dimensions of social acceptability of a lithium project in the Cree community of Nemaska 10. Lateral violence: Effects of external pressures on Indigenous communities Part 4: Indigenous Women and Resource Development 11. Employment trends for Indigenous women working in the Northern Territory’s large-scale mining industry 12. Rhetoric versus reality: Understanding employment inequities for Inuit women in mining 13. A mine for women? Trajectories of Kanak women in the nickel industry in New Caledonia 14. Conclusion Postface: MinErAL Partner Reflections A: How MinErAL helped expose and share the realities of mining development in the Nunavik region B: The impact of the MinErAL Project from the perspective of a Kanak working for Koniambo Nickel
About the Author :
Thierry Rodon is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Université Laval, Canada, and holds the INQ Research Chair in Northern Sustainable Development.
Sophie Thériault is a full professor in the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law (Civil Law Section), Canada, where she served as vice-dean, Academic (2019–2023), and as vice-dean, Graduate Studies (2015–2017).
Arn Keeling is a settler-scholar and professor of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John’s, Canada.
Séverine Bouard is a human geographer (PhD) at IAC, New Caledonia.
Andrew Taylor is an associate professor of demography at the Northern Institute of Charles Darwin University in Australia.
Review :
"This groundbreaking book is an indispensable resource for anyone concerned about the impacts of mineral extraction on Indigenous Peoples and local communities worldwide. With meticulous research and a commitment to amplifying marginalized voices, the authors offer a comprehensive analysis of the complex dynamics surrounding mining encounters. By emphasizing comparative perspectives and the holistic understanding of social, environmental, economic, and cultural factors, this work sheds light on both the opportunities and challenges presented by extractive industries. Through collaboration with Indigenous organizations and partners across multiple countries, the MinErAL network has produced invaluable insights that contribute to the global dialogue on sustainable development and Indigenous rights. A must-read for policymakers, researchers, and advocates alike."
Rosa Galvez, Canadian Senator representing Quebec (Bedford); formerly a professor and head of the Civil and Water Engineering Department at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada
“This collection is an excellent and necessary resource for those interested in the relations between mining and Indigenous Peoples. At a time when Indigenous Peoples are increasingly facing pressures from extractive industry, this book convincingly shows the need for a comparative approach and a holistic understanding of the impacts of these activities.”
Chris Southcott, Professor in the Department of Sociology, Lakehead University, Canada
