The Relationship Between Indigenous People, Crime, and Extractive Industries in the United States: A Scoping Review

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) peoples in the United States and Indian Country and Alaska Native Villages are disproportionately impacted by extractive industries such as mining, forestry, and drilling. While extractive industries may bring economic benefits to communities, they can also contribute to increased crime and violence. This scoping review identifies and examines the current research on extractive industries and violence against Indigenous persons in the United States with particular attention to data sources and research methods. A search equation applied across seven databases yielded 2,156 records; five records were included after full-text review. The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews. Findings reveal that current evidence is limited to one type of extractive industry (oil), and primarily to one region in the United States (central north), and lacks strong causal designs. The current research, albeit limited, suggests a relationship between extractive industries in an area and increased violence against AI/AN people; however, more comprehensive and methodologically robust research is needed to better understand how extractive industries contribute to violence against AI/AN people, across diverse regions and contexts in the United States.