“These are our lands”: Maroons Fight Mining in Jamaica

<p>Last year, Alzo Slade took us to Jamaica, where residents are fighting against mining in the most ecologically sensitive part of the island: Cockpit Country. The Maroons who live there, descendants of indigenous people and formerly enslaved Africans who joined together to fight British colonizers, say mining would destroy their way of life.</p><br><p>But this year, the government gave the go-ahead to start mining in Cockpit Country. And the Maroons have filed a lawsuit against the Jamaican government, trying not only to stop the mining, but also to finally get recognition of their sovereignty. This week, we’re re-airing last year’s episode with an update about the latest court battle.</p><br><p>This episode was produced by Jen Kinney. Special thanks to Eric Weinrib, Andrea Davis and Patricio Matos who produced and reported a version of this story for VICE News. You can watch their film at Vice.com, or on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nbHC24Z0rQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Youtube.&nbsp;</a></p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>