Colonial Extractions: Race and Canadian Mining in Contemporary Africa

“Colonial Extractions tells the story of Canadian mining as a racial regime on a global scale. A thoughtful and well-developed reading of the Canadian mining industry in its historical and contemporary contexts, this book documents and analyses Canadian colonizers’ attitudes towards Africa, its people, and its resources.”

Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University

“Colonial Extractions is fresh, provocative and unsettling.”

Holly Doan, Blacklocks Reporter, November 7, 2015

‘A stunning critique of modern mining under neo-liberalism… Colonial Extractions has something to offer on the chronic modern disconnect between Canadian ideals and actions in the realm of race politics and international relations.’

Mica Jorgenson, Canadian Historical Review vol 98:01:2017

‘This brave book’s ideas should be widely considered.’

Kate B. Showers, Canadian Journal of History vol 52:01:2017

“This book asks hard and unpleasant questions: Is Canada engaged today in a colonialist process of resource appropriation? If so, what makes this possible? How is it that racialized structural violence, manifested as resource appropriation, becomes routinized and legitimized? Not all will welcome the analysis presented. Informed mainly by post-colonial and critical race theory, it represents nonetheless a long overdue and extremely rigorous deconstruction of the Canadian mining industry, its domestic history – including its relationship with the Canadian state – and its contemporary operations in African countries. Colonial Extractions is a ground-breaking contribution that will serve as a landmark for years to come.”

Bonnie Campbell, Faculte de science politique et de droit, Universite du Quebec a Montreal