Alaska Communities Define Meaningful Mining Consent
Amid growing concerns over projects like Palmer Project, Graphite One, Donlin Gold, and the proposed West Susitna Access Road, Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) on behalf of the Alaska Mining Impacts Network, commissioned Project Mosaic LLC to research what genuine consent means from affected communities’ perspectives.
Through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with Alaska Mining Impacts Network (AKMIN) participants, the research examines the critical components of effective community consent, emphasizing Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as both a dynamic relationship and expression of Indigenous sovereignty.
This report presents AKMIN’s collective vision for meaningful consent in hardrock mining projects.
Key findings highlight communities’ unequivocal right to accept or decline mining projects without pressure. The report identifies major barriers including outdated legal frameworks, limited enforcement of Indigenous rights, resource disparities, restrictive timelines, and experiences of misinformation and coercion.
The research emphasizes that meaningful consent requires grassroots advocacy, cultural continuity, intergenerational responsibility, and truly community-driven processes—moving beyond token consultation toward genuine partnership in decisions that will shape Alaska’s future.
