"Extractivism is lethal..."
Settler colonial resilience is built on Indigenous vulnerabilities. In Aotearoa New Zealand we see Pakeha farmers divided over responses to global heating but the anti-climate change crowd are the most vocal (and organised). In Saskatchewna, legislation (Saskatchewan First Act) that will see regulation of greenhouse gases emissions in the powerful oil & gas, forestry, electricity generation, and non-renewable natural resource sectors come under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Government of Saskatchewan is being pushed by the right-wing provincial government.
While conscious of the dangers of relativism ("Our racists are worse than your racists!"), there are regions of this planet where the risks are lethal. The link below will take you to an Indigenous panel discussing extractivism in the Americas.
All of the forests that we Indigenous people are protecting are now becoming a business; green business. And who’s receiving the benefits of that? It’s the government. And with a new discourse, oh no, we’re not going to destroy nature, but you have to be part of this green business. So for us, as Indigenous Peoples, each millimeter of rights has been fought for with deaths, with struggle, with so much struggle. But I do believe that we have a holistic vision that could transform the vision of our country and make it more equitable with greater solidarity.
Pablo Poveda (Center for Studies of Labor and Agrarian Development (CEDLA), a non-profit think tank in La Paz, Bolivia)
Dangerous times and our Peoples are still in the frontline.