2008 Woodie Awards
UA professor raises awareness about displacement of indigenous people
Nathan Strayhorn
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: News
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A UA anthropologist and scholar of Latin American studies edited a case study of the world's largest open-pit coal mine and the effects it has on inhabitants of the area in which the mine was built.
In "The People Behind Colombian Coal: Mining, Multinationals and Human Rights," Steve Striffler and colleagues Aviva Chomsky and Garry Leech assembled a comprehensive collection of reports on the impact of the Cerrejon mine, located in La Guajira, Colombia, according to a press release.
The continual expansion of the Cerrejon mine - at the rate of about 1,482 acres a year since it was opened in 1983 - has led to the forced displacement of indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian communities, according to the press release.
"The mine is the largest open-pit coal mine in the world," Striffler said. "First owned by Exxon, then sold to three European companies, the mine is the largest supplier of coal to the U.S."
Used to generate energy in power plants, Americans are benefiting from the displacement of others, Striffler said.
"To make room for the mine, Exxon and the new owners forcefully displaced the indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities," Striffler said. "These indigenous peoples had lived in the region for more than 500 years - long before the mine was even a thought."
The Wayuu had inhabited the region since before Europeans arrived in 1499, enjoying a rather autonomous lifestyle while their region remained undeveloped.
"They didn't only lose their land and their homes, it's also a cultural crisis," Striffler said.
"Being an agricultural community, a lot of their traditions, art and other aspects of their culture are tied to their land," Striffler said. "They lose their land, and a lot of their culture goes with it."
The Wayuu is one of the largest and most complex indigenous tribes in Columbia but have no centralized power. This has hindered the tribe's ability to collectively address external pressures, according to the press release.
In "The People Behind Colombian Coal: Mining, Multinationals and Human Rights," Steve Striffler and colleagues Aviva Chomsky and Garry Leech assembled a comprehensive collection of reports on the impact of the Cerrejon mine, located in La Guajira, Colombia, according to a press release.
The continual expansion of the Cerrejon mine - at the rate of about 1,482 acres a year since it was opened in 1983 - has led to the forced displacement of indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian communities, according to the press release.
"The mine is the largest open-pit coal mine in the world," Striffler said. "First owned by Exxon, then sold to three European companies, the mine is the largest supplier of coal to the U.S."
Used to generate energy in power plants, Americans are benefiting from the displacement of others, Striffler said.
"To make room for the mine, Exxon and the new owners forcefully displaced the indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities," Striffler said. "These indigenous peoples had lived in the region for more than 500 years - long before the mine was even a thought."
The Wayuu had inhabited the region since before Europeans arrived in 1499, enjoying a rather autonomous lifestyle while their region remained undeveloped.
"They didn't only lose their land and their homes, it's also a cultural crisis," Striffler said.
"Being an agricultural community, a lot of their traditions, art and other aspects of their culture are tied to their land," Striffler said. "They lose their land, and a lot of their culture goes with it."
The Wayuu is one of the largest and most complex indigenous tribes in Columbia but have no centralized power. This has hindered the tribe's ability to collectively address external pressures, according to the press release.
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