Introduction

The legal contestation of projects of natural resource exploitation has experienced a significant increase in the Americas since the 1980s. This is due to a stark growth in the number of planned projects as well as an increased recourse to legal means of those affected by the projects. Although most of these conflicts are local, they are closely intertwined with transnational actors and developments. As exploitation projects are advancing, inhabitants of the affected areas, often indigenous peoples, seek ways to prevent or at least repair past violations of their rights and amend activities leading to the continued destruction of their lands. The implications hereof for indigenous peoples, as well as the role of transnational companies and states, transgress human rights violations and reveal contours of legal, political, and economic conflicts.