From pay‐out to participation: Indigenous mining employment as local development?

Abstract

Unprecedented numbers of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Australia are working in the mining industry. This study explores the proposition that Indigenous mining employment is a form of local development for these peoples. We establish links between the literatures on Indigenous work in the mining industry with development theory. For employment to be considered a form of local development we maintain that it must be understood through the framework of self-determination, as this applies within a colonial context. A range of potentially enabling requirements is identified, including effective regional governance, career progression, gender equity and equality, and free prior and informed consent. We argue that, where such conditions are not in place, Indigenous peoples in settler states, such as Australia and Canada, risk swapping one kind of dependency for another: the welfare state for the mining economy. It is important that future research test the legitimacy of these conditions, while exploring alternative value propositions when mining companies seek to negotiate access to Indigenous peoples land and resources.

Accounting and First Nations: A Systematic Literature Review and Directions for Future Research

“…Carefully developed tourism, native food businesses and land management balance commerce with the preservation of traditional knowledge, art and sacred places (Concu 2012;Ruhanen et al 2015;Logue et al 2018). A more contentious use of traditional lands is in the extractive industries, where First Nations entities have experienced mixed success in exercising their authority over land use (O'Faircheallaigh 2008;Barber and Jackson 2012;Marsh 2013;Haalboom 2014;O'Faircheallaigh 2015;Apoh et al 2017;Carson et al 2018;Howlett and Lawrence 2019;Guevara et al 2020;Holcombe and Kemp 2020;Kaur and Qian 2021).…”

Work and health challenges of Indigenous people in Canada

“…In particular, a large number of Indigenous people work in the mining industry, including for major projects such as the Voiset's Bay nickel mine in Labrador, NL, and the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. 30 This sector provides job opportunities for local populations, but such projects also involve land dispossession and industrial pollution. 31 The nature of the challenges that Indigenous people face in their workplaces depends on the proportion of individuals in agreement with the project.…”

British Columbia’s Community Benefits Agreement: Economic Justice for Indigenous Workers in Relation to Union Politics in Urban Infrastructure Projects

“…It is important to note that though construction jobs may not be desirable for all Indigenous people, these jobs can have the potential to offer significant economic benefits for many. However, there are several support systems that will need to be put in place to realize such benefits, as Holcombe and Kemp (2020) shortcoming is a barrier to achieving the right to fair compensation and equitable access to secure and sustainable work, and the right to resist exploitation on the basis of socioeconomic status. While strategies like providing training programs, transportation, and allowances may boost numbers of Indigenous workers in long-term careers in the construction trades, they are not satisfactory when it comes to a true reorientation of this agreement towards economic justice, as power would still reside in the hands of the BCIB and AIRCC, not Indigenous communities.…”

“…By this argument, traditional IBAs that have become commonplace therefore may not help to promote economic or environmental justice through implementation of development benefits. Additionally, some argue that Indigenous workforce development strategies run the risk of making Indigenous communities dependent on the settler state, which could hinder the achievement of self-determination, as well as the creation of economically sustainable communities (Brereton & Parmenter, 2008;Holcombe & Kemp, 2020); others describe what can be an unbalanced power dynamic that puts Indigenous groups at a disadvantage during the negotiation of labor agreements (Caine and Krogman, 2010;O'Faircheallaigh & Corbett, 2005).…”