Black and green revisited: Understanding the relationship between Indigenous and environmental political formations

In Australia in recent years considerable attention has been given to a supposed rift in the historical affinity between environmental and Indigenous priorities as material gain from mining, forestry and other resource-based development is weighed against impacts on the environment and communities.

In this issues paper David Ritter explores the contemporary nature of the ‘green’–‘black’ relationship, both inter-nationally and in the Australian context. He discusses the experiences of Greenpeace’s successful alliances with indigenous peoples in the Americas and the sub-Arctic before turning to Australia and the underlying dynamics — for example, the limitations of future act negotiations and the powerful influence of the resources sector — that can contribute to disputes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups and environmentalists.