This book, the first of two volumes, presents a global perspective, with case studies from each continent, on the political economy of indigenous populations. It presents the diverse socio-economic systems that have shaped indigenous communities and examines how colonisation, land dispossession, cultural suppression, and economic marginalisation have threatened them. By highlighting the issues related to European innovation and growth, such as environmental degradation, traditional narratives of Western superiority are challenged. The value of indigenous knowledge, governance, and environmental protection is, in contrast, examined to highlight the traditions that are lost through colonisation and economic exclusion.

This book sets out a path of justice and equity for indigenous communities that overcomes the historical injustices and structural inequalities that they have faced. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in the political economy and the protection of indigenous peoples.