ABSTRACT
The introduction maps out the stakes of the book by asking, what does it mean to make a home in the middle of one of the world’s largest industrial extraction sites? The authors provide information on the extent and importance of the oil sands as an issue of global importance and of strong interest to (albeit neglected by) anthropology. In particular, questions related to Indigenous issues in the oil sands region have constituted a research gap, which the book strives to address. The introduction contextualizes the oil sands by reviewing literature on related topics in social science (particularly anthropology), humanities, and fine arts. Theoretically, the introduction develops its argument in dialogue with anthropological theories of dwelling and home, as well as theoretical approaches emphasizing settler colonialism, particularly resource-driven colonialism and the sacrifice zones that result. The introduction concludes with a discussion of each chapter and its significance relative to the book as a whole.
