Reanimating the sacrifice zone : Mechanisms of harm and healing in Yellowknife
(2025) In Ambio- Abstract
Communities living in areas of extraction often find ways to overcome or resist destructive legacies, but researchers lack a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which this is done. This article helps to address this gap by employing the theoretical framework of a sacrifice zone to a case study of Yellowknife, Canada and nearby mining projects. By analyzing a combination of interview and site visit data, we find that sacrificial logic diffuses across human systems, even as environmental harms are remediated, because land and people are inseparable. The three consequences of sacrifice we highlight in our case study are the failure to sign a land and governance treaty, insufficient funds for social causes, and uncertain economic... (More)
Communities living in areas of extraction often find ways to overcome or resist destructive legacies, but researchers lack a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which this is done. This article helps to address this gap by employing the theoretical framework of a sacrifice zone to a case study of Yellowknife, Canada and nearby mining projects. By analyzing a combination of interview and site visit data, we find that sacrificial logic diffuses across human systems, even as environmental harms are remediated, because land and people are inseparable. The three consequences of sacrifice we highlight in our case study are the failure to sign a land and governance treaty, insufficient funds for social causes, and uncertain economic futures. In response, local residents engage in land-based and collaborative activities, constructing a future pathway for community development that focuses attention on healing human-land relationships.
(Less)
- author
- Barusevicius, Allison ; Garbis, Zoe LU ; Silber, Hannah and Orttung, Robert W.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- Environmental justice, Extractivism, Land claims, Mining, Sacrifice zone
- in
- Ambio
- publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105017882352
- pmid:41047460
- ISSN
- 0044-7447
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13280-025-02267-w
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- dee48753-e94f-4ba7-b0ba-75bd98eb707f
- date added to LUP
- 2025-12-05 11:42:57
- date last changed
- 2025-12-06 03:00:14
@article{dee48753-e94f-4ba7-b0ba-75bd98eb707f,
abstract = {{<p>Communities living in areas of extraction often find ways to overcome or resist destructive legacies, but researchers lack a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which this is done. This article helps to address this gap by employing the theoretical framework of a sacrifice zone to a case study of Yellowknife, Canada and nearby mining projects. By analyzing a combination of interview and site visit data, we find that sacrificial logic diffuses across human systems, even as environmental harms are remediated, because land and people are inseparable. The three consequences of sacrifice we highlight in our case study are the failure to sign a land and governance treaty, insufficient funds for social causes, and uncertain economic futures. In response, local residents engage in land-based and collaborative activities, constructing a future pathway for community development that focuses attention on healing human-land relationships.</p>}},
author = {{Barusevicius, Allison and Garbis, Zoe and Silber, Hannah and Orttung, Robert W.}},
issn = {{0044-7447}},
keywords = {{Environmental justice; Extractivism; Land claims; Mining; Sacrifice zone}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
series = {{Ambio}},
title = {{Reanimating the sacrifice zone : Mechanisms of harm and healing in Yellowknife}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02267-w}},
doi = {{10.1007/s13280-025-02267-w}},
year = {{2025}},
}