Authors

  1. Caxaj, C. Susana PhD, BScN
  2. Berman, Helene PhD
  3. Restoule, Jean-Paul PhD
  4. Varcoe, Colleen PhD
  5. Ray, Susan L. PhD

Abstract

For Indigenous peoples of Guatemala, mining is experienced within a lingering legacy of colonialism and genocide. Here, we discuss macro-level findings of a larger study, examining the lived context of a mining-affected community in Guatemala and barriers that this poses to peace. Using an anticolonial narrative methodology, guided by participatory action research principles, we interviewed 54 participants. Their accounts pointed to intersecting and ongoing forces of poverty, dispossession, gendered oppression, genocide, and global inequity were exacerbated and triggered by local mining operations. This context posed profound threats to community well-being and signals a call to action for nurses and other global actors.