The Muskrat Falls Project within the (Hydro)Power Relations of Labrador
This discussion aims to explore the power dynamics which shape the development, implementation, and perspectives on the Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric Project (MFP) in Labrador, Canada. It considers the historical context within Newfoundland and Labrador which shape community viewpoints, as well as the political dynamics which allowed the project to proceed without sufficient community consultation and consent. The central analytical question considered is how the MFP fits within the settler colonial structure of the region. I will also consider how the project is wrapped in larger global issues and structures of capitalism through corporate exploitation of Labrador.
About the presenter:
Dr. Jessica Penney is a Nunatsiavut Inuk researcher raised in Nunavut. Her work focuses on the intersection of Inuit health, food systems, and environmental issues in both Nunatsiavut and Nunavut. She completed her PhD at the University of Glasgow and is currently a Co-Investigator on the ‘Inuksiutit: Food Sovereignty in Nunavut’ project, which works with youth and elders to consider how Inuit food choices and food futures are affected by climate change, and to promote the intergenerational transmission of food knowledge.