The Relationship Between Indigenous People, Crime, and Extractive Industries in the United States

A Scoping Review

Bibliographic Data

ID21737703
AuthorsTara N Richards (0000-0001-9239-2192, University of Nebraska at Omaha, corresponding author), Emily M Wright (0000-0002-4653-3596, Urban Institute), Emilie Whitehouse (0009-0003-5718-3354, University of Nebraska at Omaha)
Year2026
Pages15248380261455851-15248380261455851
Publication date2026-06-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTrauma Violence & Abuse (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1524-8380 • E-ISSN: 1552-8324
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/15248380261455851
PMID42374627
OpenAlexW7166645375
LanguageEN
References cited20

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

Indigenous · Native american · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Suicide prevention · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Mining and Resource Management · Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses

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Open DOIOpen Access