The State of Extraction

By John Ahni Schertow

SFU Vancouver | Coast Salish Territories | March 27-29, 2015

The State of Extraction conference brought together indigenous leadership, academics, artists and public intellectuals from a variety of disciplines, activists engaged in various struggles related to resource extraction (including oil, gas, coal and rare earth metals), representatives of affected communities from the global north and south, and the general public to examine the new face of resource capitalism in Canada and its influence on the world; the (lack of) public debate about such issues and the role of resource capitalism in structuring (and frustrating) such debate; as well as alternative models of economic and social development.

To learn more about the conference, its organizers and participants, visit www.stateofextraction.org

The State of Extraction

Friday Afternoon

Panel: The State of Extraction: Oil, Gas, Coal, and More
Intro: Stephen Collis & Samir Gandesha (SFU)
Leila Darwish (Council of Canadians), Dr. Doug McArthur (Graduate School of Public Policy, SFU), Jen Moore (Mining Watch), Kevin Washbrook (VTACC).

Roundtable: The State of Global Community Impacts & Resistance
Steve Stewart, Moderator (Program Director, CoDev and Mining Justice Alliance), Rueben George (Tsleil Waututh FN), Caleb Behn (Dene FN), Angelica Choc (Kekchi Maya / Guatemala), Chandu Claver (Philippines), Patrick Ochieng (Kenya).

Friday Evening

Keynote: Chris Hedges

Saturday Afternoon

Roundtable: Indigenous Rights, Land, and Alternatives
Toghestiy & Freda (Wet’suwet’en/Unist’ot’en Camp), Melina Laboucan-Massimo (Lubican Cree First Nation), Kanahus Manuel (Secwepmec Women Warriors), Melissa Daniels, (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Richard Wright (House of Luutkudziiwus/Madii Lii Camp)

Keynote: Glen Coulthard (UBC)

Sunday Afternoon

Workshop: Imperial Metals: Mt Polley Mine Disaster Panel For Action

Legal Workshop. WCEL & BCCLA.

Panel: Extractivism, the Law, and Human Rights
Caleb Behn (Dene First Nation) with: Rachel Ariss (UofO, Aboriginal Law), Cory Wanless (Klippensteins Barristers and Solicitors), Alain Deneault (author)

Keynote: Aziz Choudry (McGill)

Plenary Discussion: Post-conference strategy and collective statement of purpose