Indigenous Perspectives of Mining in Fiji: The Relevanceof Putting Indigenous Knowledge at the Core of Development Initiatives

Mining is crucial to the development of developing countries. This article studies the perspective of Indigenous peoples of Fiji(iTaukei) on the impact of mining on their development. Considering Indigenous knowledge at the core of this research, a uniquequalitative methodology that integrates Vakumuni Vuku ni Vanua (gathering wisdom of the land), using the 3D Veivosaki (mean-ingful conversation) and Butu Vanua (transcendence walk), was used to collect information from citizens from the NamosiProvince affected by the Waisoi Mining Exploration Project. Results show a negative perception of how mining impacts thecommunity, from creating inequity to consultation and social breakdown and environmental and health impacts, unpacking acomplex interplay between economic development and socio-environmental and cultural disruptions. This article suggests thatdevelopment in Indigenous contexts cannot be properly assessed through an economic lens; rather, that justice, cultural continu-ity and ecological sustainability must be at the core of Indigenous development initiatives. The research proposes an Indigenousframework for sustainable development.