Indigenous Voices Overlooked in Deep-Sea Mining Governance
Original framing: “‘We Live in One Ocean’: Native Hawaiian Activist Calls for Inclusion in Deep-Sea Mining Decisions” — Inside Climate News
The original framing omits Indigenous knowledge systems, the historical context of oceanic colonization, and the voices of Pacific Islander and Indigenous Pacific communities who are most affected by deep-sea mining. It also lacks analysis of how mining could impact marine biodiversity and the rights of future generations.
High structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
This narrative is primarily produced by international regulatory bodies and media outlets with a Western scientific and economic lens. It serves the interests of industrial stakeholders and state actors who benefit from the current extractive model. The framing obscures the historical and ongoing marginalization of Indigenous and small-island nations in global environmental governance.
Pacific Islander and Indigenous Oceanic cultures offer holistic, relational understandings of the sea that contrast with the compartmentalized, profit-driven approaches of industrial mining. These perspectives are critical for rethinking ocean governance in ways that honor ecological integrity and cultural sovereignty.
The push for deep-sea mining regulation is not just a technical or economic issue, but a deeply systemic one rooted in colonial legacies and extractive capitalism.