Paradoxically, the bonanza in large mining projects in the region takes place in rural areas, where it coexists with indigenous communities historically marginalised from development processes and, what is more, it advances at the same time as many of these communities become poorer and poorer. Undoubtedly, this reality fundamentally questions the system in operation in our countries governing these natural resources and particularly challenges the mining industry in the face of the urgent need to contribute to sustainable development processes as a new paradigm.

The purpose of this article is not to thoroughly analyse the intricacies of the progress of mining development in indigenous settings, but to raise awareness of the urgent need to hold an informed debate about this issue in the region and most particularly in Chile, where we have lagged behind in efforts to give ourselves a clear political and institutional framework to regulate the rights of indigenous peoples, especially in terms of access to and use of natural resources.

Over the past decade, several global initiatives reflect the growing interest of the top management of large mining companies in moving forward in the building of positive and mutually beneficial relations with the community in indigenous settings, as well as the creation of opportunities for effective local development in the long term . At the same time, and also at the international level, the successes of the indigenous movement in asserting indigenous peoples’ rights through conventions and declarations – such as ILO Convention No. 169, amongst others – are significant.

However, although awareness of the issue and the debate have gained significant ground at the global level, this has not been reflected in the existence of a real dialogue on the topic in our local reality or, least of all, in the effective exercise of indigenous peoples’ internationally recognised rights as a habitual practice.

Particularly in Chile, even though most mining projects located in the North – the pillar of our mining development – coexist with indigenous communities and compete with them for access to land and water, there are no discussion fora, spaces for exchanges, or, least of all, participatory studies aimed at analysing how this complex coexistence occurs in practice, how mining development affects the communities and how the occurrence of conflicts has evolved, nor do we have a political or research agenda that sets guidelines on how to tackle the issue.

The shortcomings of our legal and institutional frameworks regarding the matter make this challenge all the more urgent. International experience shows us that, as a result of the weakness of national legislations on the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights, it is becoming more and more necessary to resort to an international jurisdiction which – on the basis of the principles and provisions of international conventions and declarations – has challenged states in their decisions on projects aimed at tapping into resources.

Today, globalisation – both economic and in terms of rights – forces us to address this outstanding issue on our development agenda, which is a source of potential conflicts calling for local multicultural solutions.

Some of the recommendations of different international processes that have analysed this issue point to the incorporation of mechanisms to ensure the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous communities in the decision-making processes that affect them, their participation in the benefits that these activities may bring, equitable indemnification for any damages that may be caused, and the evaluation of cultural impacts of the projects that may affect indigenous peoples’ territories. Nevertheless, the development of research that provides enough evidence of the effectiveness of these and other mechanisms in local contexts and supports the elaboration of relevant policies is still pending.

We need greater openness to dialogue on the part of the different stakeholders, and it is also necessary to make participatory research efforts that contribute to the development of useful knowledge, an informed dialogue and decision making regarding policies and good practices for the management of mineral resources in indigenous territories and for the building of harmonious, beneficial relations between the mining industry and indigenous communities.

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RELEVANX

1 Las actividades de exploración minera en la región se concentran principalmente en Argentina, Brasil, Chile, México y Perú, países en los que se concentra más de la mitad de la población indígena de la región estimada entre 40 y 50 millones de personas.
2 Un estudio reciente del Banco Mundial concluye que los pueblos indígenas, representando el 10 por ciento de la población de la región, son el grupo más desfavorecido de América Latina. En efecto, a pesar de su creciente influencia política, han sido escasos los avances en materia económica y social durante la última década para los pueblos indígenas, quienes continúan sufriendo altos niveles de pobreza, menor educación y mayor incidencia de enfermedades y discriminación que otros grupos.
3 Varios procesos globales muestran esta tendencia de la industria: la Iniciativa Global de Minería (GMI) y el proyecto Minería, Minerales y Desarrollo Sustentable (MMSD); la revisión de industrias extractivas del Banco Mundial; el Diálogo Global de Gobiernos sobre Minería, Metales y Desarrollo Sustentable, entre otros.
4 Un buen ejemplo en este sentido son los resultados de la encuesta aplicada por Render el 2005 entre representantes de la industria sobre los temas, desafíos y soluciones disponibles en su relacionamiento con pueblos indígenas, encuesta encargada por el Internacional Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) En Mining and Indigenous Peoples Issues Review, ICMM, 2005.