Recap Mining Sacred Worlds

The topics of the guest speakers` presentations and the documentaries evolved around the mining boom currently threatening the environment, people and communities around the world. It highlighted the impacts on indigenous peoples’ sacred places and their ways of living, seeing and caring for the world we all inhabit today. On the first three evenings we had lively discussions with the audience facilitated by Bas Verschuuren (coordinator for Sacred Natural Sites Initiative and PhD candidate at SDC chair group (WUR).

First day

On 5th October, the first evening of the Film Festival hosted Mirjam Koedoot (green innovator and freelance reporter at Trouw) who gave an interesting presentation on the socio-economic and ecological impacts of an extending brown coal mine in Germany. The mining operations take place on a residential area close to the Dutch-German border. Since the operations started the area has been totally transformed to a remote area with huge holes as a result of industrial machines digging the ground. The operations runs six days a week and twenty-four hours a day. The ecology, water quality and the groundwater level have been severely disturbed. Local people face not only health risks by the radioactivity and heavy metals released during mining operations, but they have also lost their lands and their sacred attachment with the place. The church of the village is also going to be demolished in the coming months. Most of the people have been relocated and only two families still live in the surrounding villages. In this case the communication among local people, the mining company and the local authorities, was weak. The company just paid for a new location for the people to leave. At the same time, the mining extraction is promoted as a green project which enhances biodiversity. The undermining of local people’s voice, the land grabbing and the green – washing strategy of the operation company in the case of Germany, linked to the documentary Profit and Loss telling the stories of two indigenous groups in Papua New-Guinea and Canada, who are also affected by mining. Despite their struggles, these groups are committed to protect their sacred sites and their ways of living to save resources for future generations.

After the documentary we had a lively discussion with the audience. We reflected on the different case studies presented considering both the sacred and environmental values which are affected by mining. Many questions were raised after the touching true stories. For example: can mining be done in a sustainable way? And are there really win-win situations? What can we do in our personal life? Is eco-consumption enough? What is the responsibility of the government and companies? Can a minority group succeed in making a change and protecting their rights? The audience discussed that in all the cases local people’s rights were not respected by the local authorities and operation companies. Through the discussion it was addressed that we need to think about new ways that we could enhance the environment and the rights of small communities which are violated by mining.

Second day

On 6th October, our guest speaker was Elisabet Rasch – Anthropologist and activist at Sociology of Development and Change Chair group (WUR), who introduced a case study on indigenous resistance against large-scale mining in Guatemala. The internal conflict in the country is rooted in the time between 1960-1996 when the state turned against its own population and indigenous peoples were killed and human rights were violated. In 1996 the peace was signed and indigenous peoples` rights became recognized. Nevertheless, after the peace had been signed a new mining law was enforced which made it easier for international companies to get mining consensus. As a result the large scale exploitation of Guatemala`s natural resources has begun and especially on those areas that belonged to indigenous territories. These development projects were neither consulted with the local population, nor local people were involved in decision-making. It resulted in the rise of anti-mining activism and movements of indigenous groups who demand inclusion and the right to be agents of their own development. By 2006 natural resources became the main reasons of activism to which the state often replies by violence and the criminalization of activists. One of the shocking examples is what happened in Cuatro Caminos in 2012 when a peaceful protest against the privatization of water led by indigenous people turned into extreme violence where the police killed many of the protesting people. After this incident the feelings of fear and insecurity of the past has returned to the people. The huge difference in interests of mining companies, the state and indigenous people creates a very polarized and wicked situation. The case of Guatemala raises the question whether it is possible for these stakeholders to find some common ground and talk with each other in such a polarized situation? In this regard the case of Guatemala linked up with the documentary Islands of Sanctuary that tells the struggles of Aboriginal Australians in the Northern Territory to conserve their sacred McArthur river “the rainbow serpent” from being redirected and polluted by mining operations and the efforts and commitment of indigenous Hawaiians to restore the sacred island of Kaho`olawe after 50 years of military use as a bombing range.

The three case studies reflected on the importance of consultation with indigenous and local communities before giving permits to companies. Consultation is often not (e.g. shale gas exploitation in Noordoostpolder-The Netherlands) or not sufficiently done as companies often consult other indigenous groups and not the ones that are likely to be most affected by the operations (e.g. Philippines). In the discussion we also talked about a variety topics like what is sacred for different groups of people?

Third day

The 3rd evening on 7th October hosted Gerard Verschoor – Sociologist on indigenous worldviews at Sociology of Development and Change Chair group (WUR). Gerard Verschoor gave an interesting presentation about a case study in Colombia at an indigenous, sacred area in malocas (traditional riverside houses) in the Amazonas, where artisanal gold mining takes place. The indigenous social relations, the sacred values and local environment are adversely affected by gold mining. Cancer and illnesses by mercury pollution are major issues in that area. Since local men replaced their agricultural and hunting activities by working in gold mining, food insecurity has also increased within the society. They earn a lot of money that they then spend on alcohol, in the three 3 beer restaurants, the only places accept cash money. As a result many young men get drunk and get into fights with others or abuse their women. Another important issue that comes up by this case study is that mining extraction has violated the ritual values of indigenous people, which consider the natural entities, including everything that belongs to the below surface area, as human entities. For them the balanced relation with nature is vital, it is considered as a social relation, and in that case this relation is disturbed by the mining extraction. This last issue linked to the documentary Standing on Sacred Ground: Pilgrims and Tourists, which shows the local resistance to a pipeline being built through the Russian Republic of Altai into China and the struggle of the Californian Winemem Wintu against a hydro power dam being imposed on their traditional lands, flooding sacred sites.

After the documentary a creative discussion took place. Many issues were raised reflecting on the documentary and on the introduction speech. For example, it was addressed that the relationship of local people with their land and their sacred values is violated and it is not recognized by the operation companies and the authorities. Then we discussed the relationship of Western people with nature. Many of the audience expressed that Western people have lost their connection with nature and with their food sources. Then a question raised: Is that disconnection reflects to the weak social connection among people? Nowadays it seems that people are more globally connected than locally. We concluded that probably more time should be given in order we can redevelop our relationship with the environment and among us.

Last day

The closing evening of the festival on 8th October presented Oscar Reyna – PhD candidate in political ontology at Sociology of Development and Change Chair group (WUR), who gave an introduction on the sacred place Wirikuta in Mexico, which is being threatened by mining. Real de Catorce situated closely to the sacred area Wirikuta and was a silver mining town until fifty years ago and much of the town has fallen into decay. Now the town being discovered by international tourists drawn by the desert ambience and reputed spiritual energy. Natural medicines and indigenous identity can be still found in the town. Wirikuta is a sacred territory to the Wixarika (Huichol people) who live far away but every year travel long distances to make their pilgrimage and visit their sacred place and to leave religious offerings according to their ancestral beliefs. During their pilgrimage they also gather the endemic cactus species “hikuri”, the magical cactus that they use in their spiritual ceremonies. Nowadays, the sacred place is almost entirely threatened by mining which has evoked people`s protests both indigenous and not indigenous groups against mining exploitation. The documentary Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians tells the story of defending the sacred territory Wirikuta against the threat of mining and gives us insights into the Huicholes culture and beliefs through a family`s ritual pilgrimage. Both Oscar`s presentation and the documentary reflected on different actions that available to the public and that have been started by the Huicholes to defend Wirikuta. These actions emphasizes the importance of mutual openness and commitment that are necessary to change the course of development as we know it.

If you are interested to get to know more about Natural Sacred Sites, you can read more on the website http://sacrednaturalsites.org/.