Legal Questions Regarding Mineral Exploration and Exploitation in Indigenous Areas

This article deals with some legal issues associated with natural resource extraction affecting indigenous peoples. My contribution begins with a brief description of the current interest of the topic. In this part I will look into some trends and major challenges with mining activities in indigenous areas. The examples will mainly be from a Norwegian Sami perspective. The second part of the article discusses the existing international legal framework and standards applicable to mineral extraction on indigenous peoples’ lands. The third and final part of the article draws attention to the present situation of the Sami people in Norway when it comes to mineral exploitation on Sami lands