Local Communities and Extractive Industries

Extractive industries inevitably transform their environment. The extent of that transformation can only be properly assessed by examining the impact on the human and non-human populations inhabiting those spaces. Indigenous communities are often most directly affected, forced to contend with powerful institutions in the private and public sectors. Conflicts over the impact of extractive industries in different territories and natural environments are especially sensitive. In this LARC Dialogue, three community leaders and academics shared their experiences facing the impact of extractive industries in different territories and natural environments in the Canadian and Latin American contexts.

Participants:

Sergio Cubillos is the president of the Consejo de Pueblos Atacameños (Atacama People’s Council), which represents 18 communities in the Atacama Desert, Chile. 

Ana Watson is a PhD Candidate of Geography at the University of Calgary. Her doctoral research is focused on the political ecology of natural gas extraction in the Amazon where landscapes have been shaped by competing narratives of economic development and conservation.  

Cora J. Voyageur is a full professor of sociology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests explore the Indigenous experience in Canada including  leadership, employment, community and economic development, women’s issues and health.

Roberta Rice - Moderator

See the full video below: