Summary

Throughout the (this?)region, the rights and concerns of indigenous peoples are making news. Tensions between indigenous peoples and nation states take many forms, but none is so definitive as the question of resource sovereignty. Written by geographers, anthropologists, lawyers, economists and field practitioners, this book argues that these tensions are constructing a new geopolitics of identity and sovereignty within the nation states of Australasia, Melanesia and Southeast Asia. Building on the success of an earlier volume, Mining and Indigenous Peoples in Australasia, this volume goes beyond documenting the impacts of resource-based development to examine five key themes in contemporary disputes: the complex relationships between resources, identity and sovereignty; culture and gender issues in resource projects;marginalisation of and negotiations with indigenous interests; compensation and the monitoring of agreements; and the roles of governments in mediating relations between resource industry and indigenous groups. Detailed case studies illustrate and attest to the diverse concerns and the complexities of contemporary debates and disputes. Resources, Nations and Indigenous Peoples: Case Studies from Australasia, Melanesia and Southeast Asia provides a compelling analysis and will be invaluable for students, public servants, industry and community organisations in many spheres.