Week 5: The Problem of Extraction

Understand the concept of resource development and extraction.
Identify how extraction leads to ecological degradation.
Explore the connection between resource extraction and settler colonialism in Canada.

Settler Colonialism: Form of imperialism aimed at replicating a country in another land, leading to displacement of Indigenous communities.
Capitalist Economy: Focused on creating surplus value through labor exploitation.
Feminist Political Economy: Examines the reinforcing of patriarchal forms and the social implications of resource extraction.
Extractivism: The process generating ecological violence while supporting capital accumulation and power concentration.

Land Division: In 1767, British Crown divided Mi'kmaq lands (Epekwitk/PEI) into lots for British settlers, leading to Indigenous displacement.
Peace and Friendship Treaties: Signed in the 1700s, focused on peace not land sovereignty, allowing settlers to exploit Indigenous hunting, farming, and fishing rights.

Post-WWII Context: Surge in uranium extraction, notably in Elliot Lake, Ontario.
Environmental Degradation: Mining created significant tailings and chemical waste, adversely affecting local ecosystems and health.
Community Impact: Long-term health effects on the Serpent River First Nation, including increased cancer rates and environmental damage.

Royal Proclamation of 1763: Influential policy regarding Indigenous land rights.
Indian Act of 1867: Governed Indigenous affairs and reinforced colonial frameworks.

Delayed government action on water safety for Serpent River First Nation.
Environmental legacies of mining, including reclamation challenges and health crises.