Indigenous risk perceptions and land-use in Yellowknife, NT

Abstract

For over 50 years, industrial gold mining in Wı̨ìlı̨ìcheh polluted and poisoned Dene bodies and lands with seemingly no care or concern for the First Nation’s subsistence lifestyles, spiritual, or cultural practices. This thesis captures the voices, experiences, and memories of the Yellowknives Dene related to the legacy effects of industrial mining on their traditional territory. By intersecting the literatures of environmental justice, settler colonialism, and risk perception, this thesis creates a spatial narrative of environmental injustice based on the unique histories and experiences of Dene land-users living and engaging in one of Canada’s most contaminant landscapes. By drawing on Indigenous land-use studies specifically, this thesis documents Dene lived experiences, perceptions of, and responses to locally sourced industrial pollution, and addresses Dene concerns and land-use practices beyond the borders of the Giant Mine Remediation Site (GMRP) site.