Extractive industries and Indigenous peoples: A changing dynamic?

Indigenous peoples and other rural or remote populations often bear the social and environmental cost of extractive industries while obtaining little of the wealth they generate. Recent developments including national and international recognition of Indigenous rights, and the growth of ‘corporate social responsibility’ initiatives among mining corporations, offers the prospect that for Indigenous peoples at least their former economic and social marginalisation may be reduced. A case study of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) development in a remote region of Western Australia shows that these changes are indeed creating opportunities to shape the local impacts of extractive industries. It also illustrates that effective political mobilization by Indigenous peoples is essential if they are to grasp these opportunities, especially as growing pressures to expand extractive industries across the globe increase demands for access to Indigenous lands. Recent Indigenous experience holds implications for theory on the regional political economy of extractive industries and lessons for other rural and remote populations.

► Recognition of Indigenous rights can change the impact of extractive industries.
► Political mobilisation based on Aboriginal cultural values is the critical factor shaping change.
► Existing theory underplays the capacity of Indigenous people to exploit specific political configurations.