Struggle for Environmental Justice: Comparing Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani Historica Site and Dakota Pipeline Project

Abstract

The article discusses and analyses the challenges faced by the autochthonous populations like Georgiansand Native Americans in the fight for their natural resources. The article provides a comparativeanalysis on how Georgian and Native American nations had to struggle to protect theirenvironment.In 2004, an important archaeological discovery was made by the German and Georgian scientistson the Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani hill, located at the territory of the Bolnisi Municipality, Georgia. Later,the Georgian and foreign media outlets started discussing the world-wide scale and uniqueness ofthe pre-historic mine.In 2013, the status of the Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani, as a cultural monument was deprived and the miningcompany “RMG Gold” got a permission to extract gold in the wider area where Sakdrisi waslocated, which caused protests from academics and preservationists.Similar challenge was faced by Native Americans (in the U.S.) in 2016 (the problem lasted till 2020),when protests started around the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota (U.S.). The pipeline wassupposed to run from the Bakken oil fields in western North Dakota to southern Illinois, crossingbeneath the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, as well as under part of Lake Oahe near the StandingRock Indian Reservation.