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    December 22, 2021
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    COMMONS
    MINING #6 – Diamonds of Attawapiskat
    Attawapiskat has become famous across Canada and around the world. Not for the natural beauty that surrounds it, or for the Cree culture of the people who live there. Instead, it’s become a byword for the toxic legacy of Canadian colonialism.
    Arshy Mann
    Host & Producer, COMMONS
    Jordan Cornish
    Producer, COMMONS
    Kieran Oudshoorn
    Managing Editor, Podcasts

    Support us at www.commonspodcast.com

    Attawapiskat has become famous across Canada and around the world. Not for the natural beauty that surrounds it, or for the Cree culture of the people who live there. Instead, it’s become a byword for the toxic legacy of Canadian colonialism.

    But while Attawapiskat faced crisis after crisis, the community was sitting on a literal diamond mine run by the world’s most famous mining company.

    So why is it that a community rich in diamonds is so poor? And why did the government and De Beers do so little to help them through?

     

    Featured in this episode: Mike Koostachin, Vicki Lean, Anna Baggio

     

    To learn more:

    After the Last River by Victoria Lean

    The People of the Kattawapiskak River by Alanis Obamsawin

    “De Beers decision to dump sewage into Attawapiskat played role in current housing crisis” by Ossie Michelin in APTN News

    “Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?” By Edward Jay Epstein in The Atlantic

     

    Additional music from Audio Network

     

    This episode is brought to you by PolicyMe.

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