ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter begins by establishing the link between ecologically disruptive oil sands extraction and the nature of indigenous First Nation opposition in the region. The chapter goes on to define the experiences of surrounding First Nations as a form of environmental harm, justifying its study within the remit of green criminological scholarship. The historical context of the oil sands industry is then illustrated, including its intersection with the Treaty protections afforded to First Nations, before providing evidence for their abuse – a pattern of harm which manifests as ‘cultural loss’. The regulatory process serving to produce and reproduce this over time is then identified and the methodological basis for its study presented, establishing the basis for the rest of the book which explains how and why the mechanism responsible for ‘sustainable development’ of the resource has been operating in such a harmful manner for over two decades.
